Sen. Dick Durbin is escalating pressure on the Justice Department to block payments to January 6 rioters from a new $1.8 billion fund, calling the prospect both absurd and offensive to taxpayers.
The Illinois Democrat, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a formal letter Wednesday to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche demanding transparency about who qualifies for money from the Trump administration's "anti-weaponization" fund. Durbin's request came after Blanche testified before Congress on Tuesday without ruling out payouts to January 6 defendants convicted of violent crimes against police.
"The notion of the federal government doling out compensation to rioters who sought to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power and violently assaulted members of the United States Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police Department on January 6, 2021 is absurd and offensive," Durbin wrote.
The senator is demanding the Justice Department produce all documents, communications, and materials outlining the fund's eligibility requirements by May 28. He specifically wants details on how the DOJ intends to handle applications from riot participants, as well as documentation about any ethics concerns tied to Trump's $10 billion IRS lawsuit being dropped, which led to the fund's creation.
Durbin's letter attacks what he sees as reckless use of public money. "These failures to detail any eligibility criteria only compound the concerns that this nearly $1.8 billion fund was created and approved by the Department of Justice with no limitations on how the money will be disbursed," he wrote. "I cannot fathom a more irresponsible treatment of taxpayer funds."
The fund's structure raises additional red flags for watchdogs. It will be overseen by five people, four appointed by the attorney general and one selected in consultation with Congress. Critically, Trump retains the power to remove any member of the oversight panel, according to the DOJ's announcement.
Democratic resistance is broadening beyond Durbin's office. The House Democrats' Litigation Task Force filed a motion Monday seeking to block the fund entirely. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, branded it "pure fraud and highway robbery," while Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colorado, called it "one of the most brazen examples of corruption we've seen from this administration."
Two Capitol Police officers sued Tuesday to halt the fund's establishment, describing it as a "taxpayer-funded slush fund to finance the insurrectionists and paramilitary groups."
The pushback has cracked partisan lines slightly. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pennsylvania, requested further details from Blanche on Wednesday, warning that "a massive discretionary fund, with no oversight or approval from Congress, represents a dangerous backsliding in the transparency of our institutions and our commitment to the American taxpayer."
Trump has said the fund aims to reimburse "people that were horribly treated" by the federal government but declined to specify whether January 6 defendants should qualify. The Justice Department has not responded to Durbin's letter.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Durbin's right to demand transparency, but the real question is whether any oversight panel can resist a president determined to reward his political allies."
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