Two officers who defended the Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot filed suit Wednesday against the Trump administration, seeking to block a nearly $1.8 billion compensation fund they argue will reward the rioters and militia groups responsible for the attack.
Former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn and Washington Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges named President Trump, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as defendants. The lawsuit claims the administration has created what amounts to a "slush fund to finance the insurrectionists and paramilitary groups that commit violence in his name."
The administration describes the fund as compensation for people it says faced unfair prosecution by the Biden Justice Department. But the officers argue the fund lacks congressional authorization and exceeds the administration's legal authority.
"Although Trump and his cronies have been secretive about the fund's ends, reporting leaves no doubt that it will be used, among other purposes, to pay the nearly 1,600 people charged with attacking the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021," the lawsuit alleges.
The fund has drawn criticism from across the political spectrum, including from some Republicans who view it as a vehicle to funnel taxpayer money to Trump allies.
Dunn and Hodges were among those who testified to Congress about the violence that unfolded that day. More than 150 officers were injured in the attack, many sustaining serious blows from baseball bats, flagpoles, and pipes. One officer lost consciousness after rioters used a metal barrier to push her down as they stormed toward the building.
Since taking office, Trump issued approximately 1,600 pardons and 14 commutations for those involved in the Capitol assault.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Two officers willing to stand up in court against their own commander-in-chief shows how deeply this wound still runs."
Comments