'Finally we feel like we’re getting a little something': Jan. 6 rioters are hungry for Trump's $1.8 billion settlement
Yahoo Finance • • general
Key Points:
- The Justice Department's new Anti-Weaponization Fund, created from President Trump's settlement with the IRS, is offering over $1.7 billion in payouts to individuals who claim they suffered from "weaponization and lawfare," including January 6 rioters.
- If only January 6 claimants file, each could receive approximately $1.125 million, but some rioters like Enrique Tarrio and Barry Ramey are seeking payouts between $2 to $5 million, citing significant personal and financial losses.
- Critics, including two police officers present on January 6, have filed lawsuits to block the fund, arguing it unfairly supports insurrectionists and could embolden militia groups, though legal challenges face procedural hurdles.
- The fund is open to others who claim wrongful targeting by the Justice Department, with figures like former FBI Director James Comey and potentially Hunter Biden considering claims, raising concerns about the fund's broader impact.
- The situation has sparked controversy and criticism, with opponents warning it sets a precedent that extremism can be financially rewarded, while President Trump has called the fund's size "peanuts" compared to the harm suffered by January 6 participants.