Two law enforcement officers who defended the U.S. Capitol during the January 6, 2021 unrest have launched legal action to stop President Donald Trump’s nearly $1.8 billion compensation initiative, arguing that the program could potentially benefit individuals connected to the Capitol violence.
The lawsuit, submitted on Wednesday in a Washington federal court, was filed by former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn and Metropolitan Police Department officer Daniel Hodges. Both officers were among those who confronted rioters as Congress gathered to formally certify the results of the 2020 presidential election.
In their filing, the officers claimed the $1.776 billion taxpayer-backed compensation scheme risks providing financial support to people and organizations associated with the January 6 incident. They asked the court to suspend any disbursement of funds, calling the initiative a serious misuse of government resources.
The legal dispute comes shortly after Trump reached an agreement with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), ending his $10 billion lawsuit regarding the disclosure of his tax records during his first presidential term. As part of the arrangement, the U.S. Justice Department established a fund designed to compensate individuals who claim to have faced political “weaponization.”
During congressional testimony on Tuesday, Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the scope of the initiative, explaining that eligibility would not be limited to individuals charged in connection with January 6 and could extend to people from different political backgrounds who believe they were unfairly targeted.
Harry Dunn, a veteran officer with 15 years of service at the Capitol Police, has repeatedly spoken about the verbal, physical, and racial abuse he experienced during the attack. He also appeared before a bipartisan congressional panel investigating the events and later disclosed that the incident resulted in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Meanwhile, Daniel Hodges gained national attention after dramatic footage showed him trapped against a revolving Capitol door as rioters pressed into him with a police shield. Hodges, who continues to serve with Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department, later recounted his experience before lawmakers.
The January 6 Capitol unrest continues to shape political and legal debates in the United States, with its aftermath still triggering fresh controversies years later.
