Officers Sue to Block Trump’s Anti-Weaponization Fund

Two law enforcement officers who defended the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot have filed a lawsuit to block the Trump administration’s $1.7 billion ‘anti-weaponization fund.’ This fund was created through a settlement between former President Trump and the federal government.

The lawsuit was submitted in the District of Columbia’s federal court by retired U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn and Metropolitan Police Department officer Daniel Hodges. They are seeking a judicial decision to declare the fund’s creation illegal and to reverse any financial transfers from the Treasury Department to the Justice Department intended to execute the fund.

Harry Dunn and Daniel Hodges were actively involved in protecting the Capitol when a mob attempted to halt the certification of the Electoral College. The fund, announced by the Justice Department, aims to address claims of government weaponization and lawfare. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche released a statement indicating the fund’s purpose as providing a systematic approach to handle and remedy such claims.

Since the announcement, legal representatives of individuals alleging government weaponization have been positioning their clients for potential payouts. This could include Jan. 6 rioters who were convicted for violent acts during the attack but later received pardons from Trump. Additionally, former Trump administration and campaign officials who had earlier pursued legal actions against the Justice Department might qualify for compensation.

While neither Blanche nor the White House specifically stated opposition to payouts for those convicted – and subsequently pardoned – of assaulting law enforcement officers, no eligibility criteria or constraints on payout amounts have been disclosed by the Justice Department. The release of such information is expected from the five-member commission overseeing the fund.

‘By creating the Anti-Weaponization Fund, funding it, and authorizing claim criteria that allow payments to, among others, Proud Boys and January 6 rioters, Defendants have caused direct and recognizable harm to Plaintiffs Dunn and Hodges,’ the officers stated in their legal complaint.

The lawsuit claims that the fund rewards those who commit acts of violence in Trump’s name and poses considerable physical risks to Dunn and Hodges who continue their efforts to prevent that day’s events from being forgotten.

Brendan Ballou, representing the officers, emphasized the alleged illegality of the fund, advocating for legal intervention to stop any transfer of funds under what he deems a corrupt practice.

This fund emerged from a $10 billion lawsuit filed by Trump earlier in the year. The lawsuit accused federal agencies of improperly allowing the leak of his tax returns, as well as those of his sons and his company, to media outlets in 2020. The lawsuit included Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and the Trump Organization as plaintiffs.

As part of the settlement, Trump agreed to drop administrative claims against the Justice Department and asked for compensation totaling $230 million over investigations conducted during both his presidency and Biden’s administration. Additionally, the settlement prevents the IRS from pursuing further claims based on past tax returns.