Capitol riot defendants are eyeing a staggering $1.776 billion fund, launched by Trump’s administration, designed for those claiming to be victims of political “weaponization.” The race is on, and they’re not holding back.
Enrique Tarrio, the Proud Boys leader now serving 22 years for seditious conspiracy, is ready to pounce. “I’m not greedy,” he insists, but he’s got his sights set on a cool $2 to $5 million. “My life was all messed up because of this,” he adds, making it clear he’s not just looking for pocket change.
Last year, Trump pardoned over 1,500 January 6 defendants, and now they’re calculating the financial fallout from their legal battles—lost businesses, jail time, and what they see as a Justice Department gone rogue under Biden.
Peter Ticktin, an attorney representing more than 400 of these defendants, warns that the fund might fall short. “People lost multi-million dollar businesses while they were locked up,” he says. “I don’t think the DOJ is ready for us yet.”
Trump himself has weighed in, calling the fund “peanuts” compared to the devastation faced by many. “It destroyed the lives of many, many people,” he lamented at Joint Base Andrews. Meanwhile, two police officers who defended the Capitol have filed a lawsuit to stop what they call a “taxpayer-funded slush fund” for violent Trump supporters.
U.S. acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has made it clear: even those who assaulted police on January 6 won’t be excluded from the cash grab. Tarrio believes everyone deserves a slice. “The Justice Department overprosecuted for political gain,” he argues. “So everyone deserves to get money.”
Democratic Representatives Jamie Raskin and Richard E. Neal are demanding answers about the fund’s structure and transparency in a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and others involved in the settlement negotiations. “Never in American history has a President pursued corruption this brazenly or on such a colossal scale,” they wrote.
Senator Chris Coons is gearing up to block the fund through spending-bill amendments but admits it might need separate resolution. Ticktin is poised to file hundreds of claims once the application process is established, claiming he even suggested the fund idea to Trump in an email.
Some January 6 defendants are reveling in the terminology used by the Justice Department—“lawfare,” “weaponization,” and “victims”—and see this fund as a long-overdue payback. Jennie Carso-Heinl, who pleaded guilty to parading in the Capitol, declared on X, “Now liberals wanna cry about righting the wrong, too bad. Justice is coming.”
Michael Caputo, a former Trump official, has already filed for $2.7 million in “restitution” over investigations by the Biden administration and special counsel Robert Mueller. Some Democrats are even considering applying for funds themselves, claiming they’ve been unfairly targeted.
Former FBI Director James Comey has hinted at applying too, stating it’s about compensating those targeted for personal or political reasons. “So I’m guessing I’ll be in line,” he quipped.
Yet not all Trump supporters are convinced the fund will suffice. Barry Ramey, a Proud Boys affiliate convicted of attacking police, is torn about applying; he fears it could jeopardize his claim against the Bureau of Prisons. “My commitment to justice is not about the money,” he asserts. But if he could snag $2 million? “I might reconsider.”
