Convicted Jan. 6 rioter sues CNN for defamation

A Virginia man who rioted at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, has filed a lawsuit against CNN for defamation, Newsweek reported.

In his lawsuit, Jacob Hiles said he traveled to Washington D.C. that day to "express his support for President [Donald] Trump by exercising his 1st Amendment rights guaranteed to him under the United States Constitution."

Hiles was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to complete 60 hours of community service in December after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.

He claims CNN defamed him with the headline, "US Capitol Police officer indicted on obstruction of justice charges in connection with January 6." Within the article, the author cited Hiles' own words in the subheading, "Man wanted to start 'a revolution' on January 6."

The lawsuit states that the article falsely accuses Hiles "of felonious criminal activity of which he was not charged or convicted, either directly or indirectly," and falsely says he had "the intention to overthrow a sitting government which is one of the gravest felonies in the United States of America even though at the time of publication he had been charged with four Class B misdemeanors and entered a guilty plea to only one nonviolent misdemeanor and resulting in the three other charges being dismissed."

The lawsuit also alleges that Hines received "many credible death threats" after the article was published.