AUSTIN, TX – A lawsuit filed under the Ku Klux Klan Act concerning an incident from the 2020 election campaign will proceed to trial, following the failure of summary judgment motions by four defendants.
U.S. District Judge Robert Pittman, an appointee of President Barack Obama, made this decision.
The case stems from an event on October 30, 2020, when a Biden-Harris campaign bus traveling between Austin and San Antonio on Interstate 35 was surrounded by vehicles driven by supporters of then-President Donald Trump.
The plaintiffs, including former Texas State Senator Wendy Davis, former Biden-Harris campaign staffer David Gins, and bus driver Tim Holloway, allege this act was a form of political intimidation.
Defendants Dolores Park, Joeylynn Mesaros, Robert Mesaros, and Eliazar Cisneros had filed motions for summary judgment, which have been denied, setting the stage for the trial scheduled for September 9.
While specific details of Judge Pittman’s ruling remain under seal, available records indicate that Cisneros defended the actions as a demonstration of political support, arguing that there was no conspiracy involved.
This case highlights ongoing tensions and legal battles over acts of political expression and intimidation, with significant implications for how such acts are interpreted legally.
The trial will likely address these complex issues directly, determining the line between permissible political behavior and illegal intimidation under the Ku Klux Klan Act.
