Two police officers who fought rioters at the US Capitol during the January 6 insurrection have filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump over a $1.776 billion fund they describe as a "slush fund" for his allies and the rioters.
Lawsuit Alleges Presidential Corruption
Harry Dunn, a retired US Capitol police officer, and Daniel Hodges, a Metropolitan police department officer, filed the complaint in US district court in Washington DC on Tuesday. The lawsuit alleges that the fund, created as part of an agreement where Trump and his sons dropped a $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS, is designed to compensate individuals Trump claims were victims of prosecutorial overreach.
"In the most brazen act of presidential corruption this century, President Donald J. Trump has created a $1.776 billion taxpayer-funded slush fund to finance the insurrectionists and paramilitary groups that commit violence in his name," the lawsuit states.
Officers' Personal Experiences
Both Dunn and Hodges defended the west front of the US Capitol during the January 6, 2021 attack. Hodges was nearly crushed between metal doors and had his eyes gouged by a rioter. Dunn, who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2024, has spoken about struggling with PTSD following the attack.
"By its very existence, the Fund encourages those who enacted violence in the President's name to continue to do so," the lawsuit says. "Dunn and Hodges already face credible threats of death and violence on regular basis; the Fund substantially increases the danger."
Defendants and Reactions
The lawsuit also names Todd Blanche, acting attorney general, and Scott Bessent, treasury secretary, as defendants. During a Senate hearing on May 19, Blanche refused to rule out that January 6 rioters could receive payouts from the fund, stating it would be up to commissioners he would appoint and whom Trump could fire at any time.
When asked on May 18 about the possibility of rioters receiving money, Trump defended the idea, saying, "They've been weaponized. They've been in some cases imprisoned wrongly. They paid legal fees that they didn't have. They've gone bankrupt. Their lives have been destroyed. And they turned out to be right."
