May 22, 2026
Many January 6 rioters once faced prison time. Today, they could be getting $1+ million payouts. The Justice Department’s new “Anti-Weaponization Fund” is now accepting claims for anyone “who suffered weaponization and lawfare,” including Jan. 6ers. With a patriotic payout total of $1.776 billion, The New York Times reports there’s enough for $1.125 million per Jan. 6 claimant, assuming they are the only ones who file claims.
This fund emerged from President Donald Trump’s recent lawsuit against the IRS for allegedly leaking tax returns. When Trump dismissed this lawsuit, he created the Anti-Weaponization Fund as part of his settlement deal.
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After hearing about the fund, one Jan. 6er, Daniel Christmann, told The New York Times, “We’ve been trampled on so much, I think finally we feel like we’re getting a little something and maybe we’re relieved.”
A fellow rioter, Antony Vo, said, “I’m glad it turned into something that could help people who have been hurting for quite a while now,” according to The New York Times.
$1.8 billion is still “peanuts” for some Jan. 6ers
Even this $1+ billion payout isn’t enough for some. As Christmann said, “...[T]his is chump change. Even when Trump divorced Marla Maples and he was getting interviewed on it, he admitted that a million dollars isn’t a lot of money.”
Enrique Tarrio, leader of the far-right group the Proud Boys, told reporters he’s “not greedy,” but he’s hoping for a payout between $2 to $5 million. One Proud Boy affiliate, Barry Ramey, also said he wouldn’t think about dropping his claim against the Bureau of Prisons unless he gets $2 million minimum.
Attorney Peter Ticktin, who’s representing over 400 Jan. 6 defendants to claim funds, echoed this sentiment, telling Reuters, “People lost multi-million dollar businesses while they were locked up.”
Reuters also reported that President Trump called this nearly $1.8-billion fund “peanuts,” adding that the repercussions of the January 6th riot, “destroyed the lives of many, many people.”
The “events” of January 6, 2021, have long been a concern of President Trump. In fact, one of his first executive orders in 2025 was to pardon 1,600 individuals involved in the January 6 storming of the Capitol.
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Is Trump’s Anti-Weaponization Fund untouchable?
Although there are plenty of critics of the Anti-Weaponization Fund, it may be hard to challenge due to a pesky procedural problem. As Reuters pointed out, since President Trump withdrew his IRS case before the deal was formally announced, the judge didn’t have an active dispute before the court. Basically, that means the judge lost the power to examine or block the settlement.
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But that isn’t stopping opponents from challenging this fund. For instance, two police officers who were on duty during Jan 6 — Harry Dunn and Daniel Hodges — filed a lawsuit to stop what they call a “slush fund” for Trump-supporting “insurrectionists and paramilitary groups.”
As The New York Times reported, this lawsuit alleges that if money from the fund goes to Jan 6ers, it will only “continue to embolden — and potentially arm — a militia that Donald Trump will have on retainer.”
Dunn and Hodges believe the heightened threat of endangerment gives them the legal standing to sue the president. But even if their lawsuit fails, there’s another way Trump’s adversaries might weaken the Anti-Weaponization Fund.
Could Trump’s critics cash in, too?
Although Trump allies are the intended recipients of the Anti-Weaponization Fund, that doesn’t stop others who were unduly “targeted” by the Justice Department from filing a claim. And that’s exactly what some Trump opponents are planning to do. For instance, The New York Times reported that former FBI director James B. Comey says he’ll “be in line” seeking money for his double indictments.
There’s also speculation that former President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, could claim fund money for his 2024 conviction. Even if the fund denied Hunter, former Justice Department attorney Josh Gardner told Reuters, “He would have standing to challenge not just his denial, but I think the entire structure of this settlement.”
At this point, it’s too early to tell what will happen and how much Jan 6ers will cash in. However, critics are pretty pessimistic about the precedent this situation sets. As Amy Spitalnick from the Jewish Council for Public Affairs told The New York Times, “It proves that extremism pays — literally.”
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Eric Esposito is a freelance contributor on MoneyWise who loves making financial topics accessible and understandable to readers. In addition to MoneyWise, Eric’s work can be found in publications such as WallStreetZen and CoinDesk.
