President declines to rule out compensation for some January 6 defendants

The president declined on Sunday to rule out using an administration fund to compensate some individuals charged with assaulting police during the January 6, 2021 Capitol events. In an NBC News interview, the president said people involved had been treated unfairly by prosecutors and suggested compensation could be appropriate in some cases.

The president also said he would consider paying amounts he described as deserved if the decision were his alone.

Fund status and legal challenge The administration has referred to the proposed compensation program as an “anti-weaponization” fund. On 29 May a federal judge issued a temporary order blocking its creation while a lawsuit proceeds. Acting attorney general Todd Blanche told lawmakers on 2 June that the administration was not moving forward with the fund.

The president continued to defend the concept during the Sunday interview.

6 cases Nearly 1,600 people faced charges related to the Capitol events, and about 1,100 had received sentences by the end of the prior administration. More than 140 law enforcement officers were reported injured during the events. The president granted pardons to roughly 1,500 individuals connected to the events on the first day of the current term, including some who had been charged with assaulting officers.

The fund idea stems from a settlement reached after the president sued the Internal Revenue Service over disclosure of tax returns.