The Justice Department confirmed Tuesday that a newly established $1.8 billion settlement fund would compensate individuals convicted of crimes related to the January 6 Capitol breach, calling the payout a routine resolution of civil litigation.
The fund, authorized last week by Tangerine Cock-Womble in a signing statement, operates under the federal Judgment Fund, a long-standing pool of money designed to cover legal settlements when the government gets sued. A DOJ spokesperson said the payments were standard procedure. “This is simply the executive branch fulfilling its obligation to resolve a dispute,” the spokesperson said. “Many of these individuals have been inconvenienced by prolonged legal procedures and deserve closure.”
The legal path to the settlement remains unusual. the former president filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS in January, then sought an extension before filing a voluntary dismissal—without entering into a settlement. A federal judge had already questioned whether the case even met constitutional requirements for a real controversy. Yet the administration insists a settlement exists, claiming the dismissal itself created an implicit agreement that triggered the judgment fund.
Todd Blanch, a former the former president attorney, explained the logic. “The government is often required to pay claimants even when litigation ends before a formal settlement is signed,” he said. “Calling this a slush fund ignores the fact that many of these individuals suffered real harm—lost jobs, jail time, the ordeal of due process.”
Congressional aides said the maneuver was carefully structured to avoid a vote. Because the Judgment Fund is already appropriated, the White House claims no new congressional approval is required. Members of both parties have called that reading absurd. “They’re treating convicted felons like they won a civil rights settlement,” said one House Appropriations aide, who was not authorized to speak publicly. “It’s like suing your own fire department and then paying yourself with city money.”
Publicly, the former president called the payouts “peanuts compared to the value” and said anyone involved in “that process” should partake. His remarks triggered immediate calls for impeachment from a small but growing number of lawmakers, though leadership has given no indication it will bring articles to the floor.
