Two officers who defended the Capitol from January 6 rioters filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against the Trump administration’s $1.8 billion slush fund.
Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn and Metropolitan Police Department Officer Daniel Hodges argue that the fund is illegal and the premise of the fund is corrupt. They also assert that the fund rewards the bad behavior of rioters.
Trump, his elder sons and the Trump Organization filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS because his tax returns were leaked. They dropped the suit in exchange for a a fund that essentially allows Trump’s allies to apply for a form of reparations. This includes rioters who caused great damage and harm on Capitol Hill after Trump lost the election to Joe Biden.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has claimed that anyone could apply, but Jan 6. rioters weren’t automatically going to receive a payment.
“Does it mean they’re going to get money? No,” said Blanche. “It just means they are allowed to apply.”
Dunn and Hodges both say they have been harassed by the rioters and received death threats for speaking publicly about the the violence and injuries they sustained. They argue that the establishment of a fund will only allow the violence and threats against them to increase.
“The purpose of the Anti-Weaponization Fund is obvious: to provide the January 6 rioters, including the Proud Boys, with the remuneration they, the President, and the President’s allies all agree they are owed,” the lawsuit states.
Around 1500 people were charged in the riot. On his first day back in office, Trump pardoned most of them and erased the punishments for several others.
