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Two police officers who defended the US Capitol during the January 6, 2021 attack have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, seeking to block the creation of a $1.776bn 'anti-weaponization' fund that they argue would compensate rioters and paramilitary groups. The lawsuit, filed by retired Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn and Metropolitan Police officer Daniel Hodges, describes the fund as 'the most brazen act of presidential corruption this century' and demands its dissolution.

The fund was created as part of a settlement between President Donald Trump and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), in which Trump and his family dropped a $10bn lawsuit against the agency over the leaking of tax returns. As part of the settlement, the IRS also agreed not to pursue Trump, his family, or the Trump Organization for back taxes. The fund is designed to compensate individuals who claim they were mistreated by the Justice Department under prior administrations, with decisions on payouts made by a five-member commission appointed by the attorney general.

Coverage Comparison

The lawsuit has been reported across multiple outlets, with varying emphasis. Al Jazeera and The Guardian focused on the officers' claims that the fund would 'directly finance the violent operations of rioters' and 'finance the insurrectionists and paramilitary groups that commit violence in his name.' France 24 highlighted the structure of the fund and the role of the attorney general, while the Jerusalem Post reported on separate legislation introduced by Democratic lawmakers to block January 6 participants from accessing the fund.

A separate development, reported by the South China Morning Post, involves a federal judge ordering Trump to respond to 'grievous allegations' that the settlement was the result of a 'fraud' on the court. The order came after a group of 35 former federal judges filed a motion seeking to reopen the case, arguing that the settlement was a product of collusion.

Key Claims

  • The $1.776bn 'anti-weaponization fund' was created as part of a settlement between President Donald Trump and the Internal Revenue Service.
  • Two police officers, Harry Dunn and Daniel Hodges, filed a lawsuit seeking to block the fund, arguing it would finance rioters and paramilitary groups.
  • The fund is managed by a five-member commission appointed by the attorney general, a Trump appointee, and subject to the president's removal.
  • The settlement includes a bar on investigations into Trump's past tax returns, and the US government has 'no liability whatsoever for the protection or safeguarding of those funds' from fraud.
  • A group of 35 former federal judges, in a bipartisan coalition, filed a lawsuit seeking to reopen the case, calling the settlement 'a product of collusion and a fraud on the Court.'
  • Democratic lawmakers introduced legislation to prevent individuals convicted in connection with the January 6 attack from receiving compensation from the fund.
  • A federal judge in Virginia has temporarily barred the administration from operating the fund while considering a longer-term block.

Perspectives

Supporters of the fund, including Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, have described it as 'unusual' but not unprecedented. During a congressional hearing, Blanche defended the fund's creation, though he did not acknowledge that the Justice Department has prioritized investigating and prosecuting the president's perceived enemies.

Critics, including the former federal judges and Democratic lawmakers, argue that the fund is a 'slush fund' that would funnel taxpayer dollars to Trump's political allies. The judges have accused the president and the Justice Department of deceiving the court, while the legislation introduced by Democrats would block rioters from accessing the fund, including those who were pardoned by Trump.

The lawsuit filed by Dunn and Hodges emphasizes the personal threat they faced during the Capitol attack, with Hodges recalling being 'nearly crushed by rioters' and another officer overhearing protesters threaten to 'kill him with his own gun.' The officers argue that Trump has signaled he would like to compensate January 6 rioters, and the fund would allow him to do so with little oversight.