Democrats are moving to block people connected to the January 6 Capitol riots from accessing a recently created US Department of Justice’s (DOJ) $1.8 billion slush fund.
Democrat lawmakers introduced legislation this week to prevent participants in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol from receiving compensation through a newly created Justice Department fund established by the Trump administration.
The proposed measure, titled the “No Rewards for January 6 Rioters Act,” comes amid growing scrutiny over the Justice Department’s recently announced $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” which was created as part of a settlement between President Donald Trump and the Internal Revenue Service.
The legislation was introduced in the House by Democratic Representatives Jamie Raskin, Deborah Ross, and Joe Morelle, with companion legislation introduced in the Senate by Democratic Senators Alex Padilla and Sheldon Whitehouse, according to a statement published on Padilla’s website.
The bill would prohibit federal funds from being distributed to individuals convicted in connection with the Capitol riot, including those later pardoned by Trump. It would also block settlement agreements related to January 6 prosecutions and prevent additional reimbursement of restitution payments tied to riot-related convictions.
Since the fund’s announcement, attorneys representing January 6 defendants have publicly discussed plans to seek compensation.
The controversial 'slush fund,' as critics have called it, triggered legal challenges
Reuters reported that some claimants expect payouts ranging from $1 million to $5 million for lost businesses, prison time, and legal costs associated with prosecutions under the Biden administration.
The Justice Department has said the compensation mechanism is not limited to Trump supporters or January 6 defendants and could theoretically apply to individuals from across the political spectrum who claim they were harmed by government “weaponization,” Blanche told lawmakers in a hearing this week.
The controversial "slush fund," as critics have called it, has also triggered legal challenges.
Two police officers who defended the Capitol during the riot filed a lawsuit this week seeking to block the fund, describing it as a “taxpayer-funded slush fund” that could financially benefit individuals involved in the attack, according to a report from Reuters.