Capitol officers sue over fund for government weaponization victims

Two police officers who were on duty at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, sued to block President Donald Trump’s establishment of what is described as a nearly $1.8 billion fund for people unjustly targeted by the government. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in the Washington, D.C., federal district court, also named Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche as codefendants.

The fund in question was announced earlier this week as part of a settlement between President Donald Trump and the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. Under the terms of the agreement, the Treasury and Justice Departments set up a fund to compensate Americans for unfair government weaponization against them during prior administrations. Five administrators of the fund will process claims to the money. In return, Trump dropped a lawsuit against the IRS over leaked tax returns.

The terms gave examples of potential candidates to receive funds, including parents wrongfully labeled as domestic terrorists and groups targeted by the IRS based on improper ideological criteria.

What do the officers want? Officers Harry Dunn and Daniel Hodges asked the court to dissolve the fund. They said its creation was not authorized by any statute and that the money would go to what they described as Trump-aligned violent insurrectionists and paramilitary groups. They said they frequently faced threats of death and violence after clashing with rioters on Jan. 6, 2021, and later testifying about their experiences. They feared that the money would contribute to further threats, they said.

According to court documents, Hodges was struck and nearly crushed by rioters, and one attempted to gouge out his eyes. Dunn witnessed violent scenes and said rioters shouted racial epithets at him.

What else do we know about the Trump-IRS settlement? The agreement permanently bars the IRS from further legal action or action based on Trump’s previously filed tax returns. The injunction also applies to some of his family members and affiliates. The settlement doesn’t block the IRS from investigating his future tax filings.

Dig deeper: Read Josh Schumacher’s initial report on the creation of the anti-weaponization fund.