Jan. 6 officers sue over $1.8B pot they call ‘slush fund’ for ‘insurrectionists’

Key Points:

• Two officers who defended the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021 riot filed a lawsuit to block the Trump administration’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund, calling it a taxpayer-funded slush fund benefiting insurrectionists and paramilitary groups.
• The lawsuit, filed by former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn and Metropolitan Police Department Officer Daniel Hodges, argues the fund is illegal and based on a corrupt settlement linked to a dropped $10 billion suit by Trump and his associates against the IRS.
• Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that anyone, including Jan. 6 rioters, can apply for the fund, but applications do not guarantee payment; five commissioners chosen by Blanche will decide on disbursements, with the process largely shielded from public scrutiny.
• Dunn and Hodges claim the fund encourages ongoing violence and harassment against law enforcement, potentially financing those who threatened their lives during the Capitol attack, which injured over 140 officers and led to charges against about 1,500 people.
• The lawsuit highlights concerns that the fund rewards violent actors from the Jan. 6 riot, undermining accountability and the rule of law, with a former federal prosecutor representing the officers emphasizing the threat to democracy and officer safety.