Durbin Demands Information Regarding President Trump’s Nearly $2 Billion Slush Fund For January 6 Insurrectionists & Trump Allies In Letter To Acting AG Blanche

Durbin Demands Information Regarding President Trump's Nearly $2 Billion Slush Fund For January 6 Insurrectionists & Trump Allies In Letter To Acting AG Blanche

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today sent a letter to Department of Justice (DOJ) Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche requesting immediate information regarding President Trump's misuse of taxpayer dollars to line the pockets of January 6 insurrectionists and Trump's political allies through a nearly $2 billion Department of Justice slush fund. The DOJ and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) settlement agreement also pledges that the IRS will no longer pursue claims it may have against the President and members of the Trump family based on any tax returns filed before the date of the settlement.

Durbin wrote, "The American people deserve accountability and transparency as to who is eligible to receive payment from this fund, particularly whether individuals who participated in the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the United States Capitol, including those who assaulted law enforcement officers, will be eligible for compensation."

Yesterday, Acting Attorney General Blanche appeared before the Senate Committee on Appropriations, and when he was asked about claims eligibility, he responded that "anybody in this country is eligible." When he was asked specifically whether those who assaulted law enforcement on January 6 were eligible, he deflected responsibility by claiming, "I'm not one of the commissioners" who will administer the fund.

"Your response suggests that you will have no input or authority over how this fund of taxpayer money will be administered… These failures to detail any eligibility criteria only compound the concerns that this nearly $1.8 billion fund was created and approved by the Department of Justice with no limitations on how the money will be disbursed and for the purpose of both shielding and rewarding wrongdoing by the President and his allies. I cannot fathom a more irresponsible treatment of taxpayer funds," Durbin continued.

When President Trump began his second term, he immediately issued a blanket pardon to nearly 1,600 of the January 6 insurrectionists-and many of them continued to commit heinous crimes. These crimes include conspiracy to murder FBI agents; charges involving the exploitation of multiple child victims; sexual assault of a seven-year-old child; threatening to kill House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries; and more.

"To prioritize rewarding these insurrectionists as if they have been victimized while hard-working, honest Americans struggle to make ends meet in this economy of skyrocketing food and gas prices is indefensible," Durbin concluded. "I urge you to reconsider providing compensation to the individuals who violently stormed our Capitol on January 6, 2021."

In the letter, Durbin asks the Department to provide responses and supporting documentation no later than May 28, 2026.

Full text of the letter can be found here.

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