Roughly 400 January 6 rioters pardoned or granted clemency by Trump are seeking up to $10 million in taxpayer dollars
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley (both D-Ore.) said today they have introduced a pair of bills that would prevent January 6 rioters from receiving taxpayer-funded payouts from the federal government.
Leaders of the “Proud Boys” far-right militant organization are suing the federal government for $100 million. Senior Department of Justice (DOJ) official Ed Martin reportedly supports compensating violent January 6 insurrectionists.
“Donald Trump is a disgrace for even considering giving away taxpayer-funded cash rewards to the insurrectionists who attacked Capitol law enforcement officers,” Wyden said. “Trump’s scheme to create a victims’ compensation fund for these rioters is one more corrupt chapter in the ongoing plot to cover up the violence and assault on American democracy on January 6. Our legislation will ensure there is no taxpayer-funded reward for this assault on our democracy and our nation’s law enforcement.”
“Violent January 6 insurrectionists should not be rewarded with cash payments from the Trump Administration, plain and simple,” Merkley said. “Trump’s shameful pardons and promises of cash payments to rioters disrespect the rule of law, our democracy, and the brave men and women serving in law enforcement across America.”
Last year, the DOJ met with a lawyer for January 6 insurrectionists, who is asking for a victims’ compensation fund like the version used to compensate September 11, 2001 victims. This requested compensation fund would issue cash rewards for alleged “harms” these rioters have faced.
Any such fund would be both deeply corrupt and unlawful, as the establishment of a separate fund requires congressional action, but rioters could seek to “sue and settle” claims and raid the federal Judgment Fund instead. Trump himself has also demanded that the Justice Department pay him $230 million in personal compensation for investigating his various offenses.
The No Rewards for January 6 Rioters Act would broadly prohibit using federal funds to compensate any January 6 rioters prosecuted for their involvement in the attack on the Capitol, while stopping the ongoing refunds of fines already paid as part of their convictions. The No Settlements for January 6 Law Enforcement Assaulters Act would forbid the federal government from paying out any legal settlements to January 6 rioters convicted of assaulting law enforcement officers during the insurrection.
Both bills are endorsed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington; Democracy Defenders Action; Protect Democracy; Sgt. Aquilino A. Gonell, Fr. United States Capitol Police; Officer Harry Dunn, Fr. United States Capitol Police; and Officer Daniel Hodges, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (endorsement in his personal capacity).
Joining Wyden and Merkley, the No Rewards for January 6 Rioters Act is cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai’i), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.).
Full text of the bill is here.
The bills were introduced by Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).
Joining Wyden and Merkley, the No Settlements for January 6 Law Enforcement Assaulters Act is cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.).
Full text of the bill is here.
A web version of this release is here.
###