Capitol Police Officers Harry Dunn and Daniel Hodges Sue Trump Over Anti-Weaponization Fund

Two Capitol police officers who defended the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block President Donald Trump’s nearly $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” to compensate people who say they were targets of a “weaponized” legal system.

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AFR

The plaintiffs are Harry Dunn, who retired from the Capitol Police, and Daniel Hodges, a D.C. police officer, and the suit was filed in U.S. District Court in D.C. as the first known legal challenge to the fund announced by acting attorney general Todd Blanche.

AP News

The Washington Post reported that Trump agreed to drop a $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over the 2019 leak of his confidential tax records in exchange for a $1.776 billion fund to pay applicants who say they were improperly investigated or prosecuted.

The Capitol riot followed a rally where Trump repeated false claims that he had defeated Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, and the Post said a mob stormed and breached the Capitol, forcing lawmakers to evacuate and delaying the certification of Biden’s victory for hours.

The Post also said more than 140 police officers were injured, and it described the Justice Department’s response as launching the largest investigation in its history, with more than 1,500 people charged in connection with the attack.

Acting attorney general Todd Blanche told lawmakers during Capitol Hill testimony that “anybody in this country is eligible to apply if they believe they were a victim of weaponization,” and he added, “It’s not limited to Republicans.”

The BBC reported that Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune split with the Trump administration over the plan, saying he was “not a big fan” and did not see “a purpose” for the fund.

BBC

In the lawsuit described by Politico, Dunn and Hodges argued the fund violates the 14th Amendment’s prohibition on use of federal money to “pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States.”

Politico also reported that Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward said criticism of the fund was “way, way, way too early,” because “there’s not been a single claim filed, there’s not been a single payment made.”

The Washington Post said no funds had yet been disbursed, and it described a five-member commission that Blanche has yet to appoint as setting criteria for awards and distributing them to eligible applicants.

The lawsuit warned that the fund’s existence would increase the risk of vigilante violence and harassment, quoting the complaint that “those who enact violence in President Trump’s name will not just avoid punishment, they will be rewarded with riches.”

“'Not a big fan' - Top Republican breaks with Trump on $1”

BBC

CNN reported that supporters of Trump who tried to overturn the 2020 election were eager to cash in, and it quoted convicted Jan. 6 rioter Dominic Box saying, “I look forward to financial compensation. I need it. This will be a welcome relief.”

The Hill said the fund will operate through Dec. 15, 2028, and that the administration will stop processing claims after Dec. 1, 2028, with unreleased funds returning to the federal government.

The Hill also reported that the attorney general’s office will receive, on a quarterly basis, a report outlining who has received relief from the fund and what form of relief was awarded, and it described the commission as five members appointed by the DOJ with one chosen “in consultation with congressional leadership.”

In a separate dispute over eligibility, the BBC said Blanche defended the fund on Capitol Hill by arguing it was “not limited to Republicans” and that “There’s no limitation on the claims,” while CNN reported that top officials including JD Vance and Todd Blanche dodged questions about whether people convicted of January 6-related crimes, including those who assaulted police, should receive any of the funds.