Two law enforcement officers who defended the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot have filed a lawsuit to stop the implementation of a $1.7 billion fund created by the Trump administration. The fund, termed the ‘anti-weaponization fund,’ emerged from a settlement between President Trump and the federal government.
Retired U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn and Metropolitan Police Department officer Daniel Hodges submitted the lawsuit in federal court in the District of Columbia. They seek a judicial decision to declare the fund illegal and to reverse any monetary transfers by the Treasury Department to the Justice Department for its execution.
Both officers faced challenges as they sought to protect the Capitol from a mob that aimed to halt the certification of the Electoral College. The fund, announced by the Justice Department, aims to address claims of weaponization and lawfare, according to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
Attorneys are actively working to position clients for fund payouts, including Jan. 6 rioters and high-profile former Trump administration officials involved in previous lawsuits against the Justice Department. The eligibility criteria for fund payouts remain undisclosed, though Blanche mentioned that a five-member commission would finalize these details.
‘The fund’s existence sends a chilling message: individuals who enact violence in President Trump’s name won’t face punishment, but will receive rewards,’ argue officers Dunn and Hodges in their complaint.
Concerns about the fund’s potential impact have been raised by Brendan Ballou of the Public Integrity Project. He described the fund as illegal and urged the court to block financial transfers to implement it.
This fund stems from a settlement of a $10 billion lawsuit filed by Mr. Trump earlier this year. He accused federal agencies of improperly leaking his tax returns and those of his sons and his company in 2020. As part of the settlement, Trump agreed to withdraw certain claims against the Justice Department and secured conditions that prevent the IRS from pursuing prior tax return claims against him or his company.