Pardoned J6er Sues Government for $18 Million for Alleged Abuse in Pretrial Detention

Ryan Samsel is suing after becoming what his lawyer previously described as ‘the most tortured individual by the Federal Government in recent American history.’

Police try to hold back protesters on the West Plaza of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images

A former Jan. 6 defendant who alleged torture and other abuse in custody is suing the federal government for almost $18 million.

The lawsuit by Ryan Samsel of Bristol, Pennsylvania, was filed late June 9 in federal court in Virginia, six months after he gave the government the legally required notice he was planning to litigate. He is seeking $17,980,000 from the federal government for physical and mental injuries suffered from January 2021 through January 2025.