Capitol Riot Officers Sue Trump Administration Over Proposed $1.8 Billion Fund for Allies

Two police officers who defended the U.S. Capitol during the January 6, 2021 riot filed a federal lawsuit on Wednesday seeking to block a controversial Justice Department plan to establish a $1.8 billion fund aimed at supporting allies of President Donald Trump.

According to the complaint, the proposed initiative, referred to as the “Anti-Politicization Fund” , would provide compensation and legal support to individuals aligned with Trump who claim they were subjected to politically motivated prosecutions or excessive treatment by federal authorities.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, argues that the fund is unconstitutional and represents a misuse of taxpayer money to benefit individuals connected to acts of political violence.

The plaintiffs are Harry Dunn, a former Capitol Police officer who became widely known for his testimony about the January 6 attack, and Daniel Hodges, a Washington Metropolitan Police officer who was injured while defending the Capitol during the riot.

In their filing, the officers contend that the Justice Department lacks legislative authority to create or finance such a program and that the proposal violates both the U.S. Constitution and federal appropriations law.

The legal challenge marks the latest escalation in the political and legal battles surrounding the aftermath of the January 6 assault on the Capitol, which remains one of the most polarizing episodes in recent American political history.

Critics of the proposed fund argue that it could effectively channel public money toward individuals accused or convicted of offenses linked to efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Supporters, however, have framed the initiative as a corrective measure for what they describe as politically biased investigations and prosecutions.

The Justice Department has not yet publicly responded to the lawsuit. The White House also had not issued an immediate statement on the legal challenge as of Wednesday evening.

The case is expected to intensify debate over executive authority, federal spending powers, and the continuing political fallout from the Capitol riot more than five years after the attack.