The Justice Department on Monday agreed to let the federal government cover costs if former President Donald Trump is found guilty of violating the rights of protesters during the violent removal of demonstrators from a park near the White House in June 2020.

In a brief filed Monday in federal court in Washington, D.C., Justice Department lawyers argued that Trump is entitled to federal relief because the claims are related to his actions as president. James Touhey Jr., chief of the Justice Department’s tort division, wrote that Trump acted “within the scope” of his federal duties during the incident that led to the civil suit.

The Justice Department also filed a motion to dismiss the charges against Trump.

This case is one of several arising from the clearing of protesters from Lafayette Square during nationwide demonstrations following the death of George Floyd shortly after he was taken into Minneapolis police custody in 2020. After the group of protesters was dispersed, Trump and other officers posed for photos outside St. John’s Episcopal Church, where the former president held up a Bible.

The Justice Department’s response gives the courts another chance to evaluate Trump’s actions while in office and determine whether he can be held legally responsible. This comes after the Supreme Court ruled just on July 1 that presidents enjoy broad immunity for actions deemed part of their official duties.

Under the Biden administration, the Justice Department has rolled back previous protections it had granted Trump. In 2020, then-Attorney General Bill Barr was criticized for taking over Trump’s defense in a defamation case brought by writer E. Jean Carroll. Although Attorney General Merrick Garland initially supported this stance after Biden took office, the Justice Department later reversed its position.

This latest move by the U.S. Department of Justice comes more than four years after the Lafayette Square incidents, while related litigation has progressed slowly.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The incident was marred by critics who accused Trump of clearing the protesters to stage a photo shoot outside the church. In 2021, a report by the Interior Department’s inspector general found that the U.S. Park Police did not clear the park for Trump and already had plans to clear the park before they knew of the then-president’s intentions.

The Washington Examiner contacted a lawyer for the plaintiffs in the case.