Sen. Dick Durbin warns DOJ against 'doling out compensation to rioters' in new Trump fund

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: NBC News

May 20, 2026, 6:30 PM EDT / Updated May 20, 2026, 6:57 PM EDT


WASHINGTON — The top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee urged the Justice Department Wednesday to reconsider its openness to providing money from the Trump administration’s new $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund to Jan. 6 rioters who attacked police defending the Capitol.

“The notion of the federal government doling out compensation to rioters who sought to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power and violently assaulted members of the United States Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police Department on January 6, 2021 is absurd and offensive,” Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., wrote to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche in a letter first shared with NBC News.

In congressional testimony Tuesday, Blanche did not rule out the possibility that Jan. 6 defendants convicted of violent offenses against police during the attack on the Capitol could receive money from the fund.

In his letter, Durbin demanded transparency about who is eligible to receive money from the pool. He asked that the Justice Department hand over documents, communications and materials that detail the eligibility requirements for the fund by May 28, including the specific considerations made for people who participated in the Jan. 6 riot.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/dick-durbin-warns-doj-jan-6-rioters-new-trump-fund-rcna346211

[CTyankee]

1. Jeez, we saw the footage of that poor cop trapped in the revolving door...

we KNOW what we saw!

[Buddyzbuddy]

2. What, no more lifetime judges to vote in?

[AZLD4Candidate]

3. Sternly worded letter here we come

[BumRushDaShow]

4. Not that derisively-termed "letter". It's an inquiry with a demand for information with a deadline

He asked that the Justice Department hand over documents, communications and materials that detail the eligibility requirements for the fund by May 28, including the specific considerations made for people who participated in the Jan. 6 riot.

I spent a half hour this morning before posting, looking for a copy of whatever NBC saw and Durbin's staff apparently haven't uploaded it to Durbin's or the Senate Judiciary Democrats' webpage yet (NBC didn't bother to link to a copy of what they have either). They only have the press releases with links (including video) of the hearing with Blanche and opening statements.

[AZLD4Candidate]

5. You know what part of his body Blanche is going to wipe with that demand.

Until it has teeth to it after November (hopefully), Dickhead in the White House and his sycophants will ignore it complete. They want ancient Rome, Caesar in charge and the Senate is just there because of tradition and used as a rubber stamp.

The CCP does that with Politburo meetings. Remember, Winnie the Flu was "re-elected" 2086-0.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. They usually respond to these

even if they leave some stuff out, where they will get called out publicly in a hearing to clarify and provide more. None of them have completely blown off requests like this yet.

[Jvp]

7. These sternly worded letters should start including the words "treasonous acts".