Jan. 6 Rioters Line Up for Taxpayer Cash from Trump’s $1.8B Fund

Convicted Capitol Attackers Eye Government Payouts While a Federal Judge Pumps the Brakes

The January 6 Capitol rioters who once stormed the halls of democracy are now rushing to cash in on it. Trump’s controversial $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” has become a rallying cry for convicted insurrectionists who believe they deserve taxpayer money as compensation, despite having pleaded guilty in federal court to breaking the law. A federal judge has stepped in to temporarily stop the fund in its tracks, but the damage to public trust may already be done.

Who Is Trying to Get Paid?

Nearly 1,600 people were charged with crimes related to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. More than 1,200 were convicted and sentenced before President Donald Trump issued mass pardons, commuted sentences, and ordered every pending January 6 case dismissed.

Now, many of those same people want a check.

David Johnston, a South Carolina attorney who illegally entered the Capitol that day, is already advertising his services to fellow “J6ers.” He posted a video to social media offering to help them file claims, for a 10% cut of any award, capped at $5,000 per case.

“I think the narrative is changing,” Johnston said in the video. “I think good things are happening for us.”

Other rioters have made their intentions equally clear:

• A Florida man who posed for photos with then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s podium argued on social media that he deserves compensation for the “cost of his infamy.”

• A New Jersey rioter, described by federal prosecutors as a Nazi sympathizer, called the fund “good news not just for J6ers but all victims of weaponization.”

• A Texas man who received a seven-year prison sentence for storming the Capitol with a metal tomahawk celebrated the fund as “payback” for “victims of Biden’s tyranny.”

What Is the Anti-Weaponization Fund?

The Trump administration announced the creation of the $1.776 billion fund to resolve a $10 billion lawsuit that Trump and his sons filed over the leak of Trump’s tax returns by the IRS.

But rather than keeping the fund narrow, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche declared that anyone who believes they were a victim of a “weaponized government” could submit a claim. No restrictions were placed on eligibility. A five-member commission is supposed to decide who gets paid and how much, but as of this writing, those commissioners have not yet been named.

The fund would draw money from the “judgment fund,” a standing congressional appropriation the government uses to settle cases. Critics say this allows Trump to spend taxpayer money without direct congressional approval, effectively doing an end-run around the legislative branch.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington called it “a jaw-dropping act of presidential corruption.”

A Judge Steps In

On Friday, May 29, 2026, U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema, a Clinton appointee based in Alexandria, Virginia, temporarily blocked the fund.

Her order bars the government from:

• Transferring any money into the fund

• Accepting or reviewing claims

• Making any payouts

Judge Brinkema cited the need to “ensure no funds are irreversibly disbursed” while legal challenges play out. She scheduled a June 12 hearing to determine whether the freeze should be extended.

At least three separate lawsuits have been filed challenging the fund’s creation. Among the plaintiffs are two Capitol Police officers who defended the building on January 6, a former federal prosecutor who was fired after leading January 6 prosecutions, and the watchdog group Democracy Forward.

“The President’s targeting of me and others involved in January 6 prosecutions leaves our country in a very dark place,” said Andrew Floyd, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and plaintiff in the Virginia case, “sending a message that insurrection and sedition will be protected and even encouraged as long as it is on behalf of this administration.”

Even Some Republicans Are Outraged

The fund has sparked bipartisan backlash. Senate Republicans, angry about the prospect of violent rioters receiving government money, reportedly held a tense meeting with Blanche before leaving Washington earlier this month. They plan to return Monday with the matter still unresolved.

Some Republicans want to attach conditions to the fund as part of a Department of Homeland Security spending bill that would limit who can qualify for payouts.

During a congressional hearing, Blanche declined to rule out that rioters who assaulted police on January 6 could be eligible.

“That’s up to the commissioners,” Blanche told the Associated Press. “Me sitting here and talking in hypotheticals is something that I don’t think is fair to the process.”

Not Every Rioter Wants the Money

Not all January 6 defendants are rushing for a payout. A handful have spoken out against the very idea.

Jason Riddle, a military veteran from New Hampshire who served 90 days behind bars after pleading guilty to riot charges, publicly rejected his pardon from Trump. He was equally blunt about the fund.

“I’d love money, but I can’t accept that,” Riddle said. “We weren’t innocently persecuted just because of who we are or who we vote for. We were persecuted for committing criminal behavior in the Capitol of the United States.”

Oregon resident Pamela Hemphill, who served 60 days in jail for her conviction, also rejected Trump’s pardon. But she drafted a $5 million compensation claim anyway, though her reasoning may surprise people.

“I wouldn’t have been through all of this if Trump hadn’t lied about the election being stolen,” she said. “It’s a direct result of his lies that I was even there that day.”

What This Means for American Democracy

The creation of this fund is not just a legal fight. It is a direct challenge to the idea that no one is above accountability in the United States.

When hundreds of people pleaded guilty in federal court and admitted under oath that they broke the law, they waived the pretense of innocence. Receiving taxpayer money on top of a presidential pardon would not just reward wrongdoing. It would send a message to future would-be insurrectionists that political loyalty can shield you from any consequence.

The Capitol Police officers who bled defending Congress that day are now suing to prevent the very people who attacked them from collecting government checks. That image speaks for itself.

What Happens Next

The next key date is June 12, 2026, when Judge Brinkema holds her hearing on whether to extend the freeze. At least three lawsuits remain active. Senate Republicans are expected to push for restrictions when they return to Washington.

The Department of Justice insists the fund is on solid legal ground, citing settlements from prior administrations including President Obama’s. But legal observers note that those settlements resolved valid legal claims, not political loyalty rewards.

The courts are now the last line of defense. And for the moment, they are holding.

Stay informed. Share this story with someone who needs to know. And leave a comment below with your thoughts on whether January 6 rioters should ever receive a taxpayer-funded payout.