• Two police officers sue to block payouts from a $1.8 billion fund created by Trump.
• Officers allege the fund will reward January 6 rioters and harm public safety.
• The lawsuit describes the fund as a "slush fund" and a corrupt act by Trump.
• Claims are made that the fund poses an increased threat to the plaintiffs due to previous violence.
• Court decisions on payout eligibility will involve a commission appointed by the attorney general.

Two police officers, Harry Dunn and Daniel Hodges, who defended the U.S. Capitol during the January 6, 2021, rioting, filed a lawsuit aiming to block any payouts from a new $1.776 billion fund established to compensate those alleging politically motivated prosecutions. The suit contends this fund could enable payments to the rioters themselves, thereby financing “the insurrectionists and paramilitary groups that commit violence in [Trump's] name,” and describes its creation as “the most brazen act of presidential corruption this century,” according to LA Times, Reuters, Al Jazeera, and NPR.

The officers, both of whom endured injuries during the riot, argue that the fund represents a significant danger to their safety as it may embolden violent actors, and they seek to prevent taxpayer money from being used to financially support their attackers. The fund was created as a component of Trump's settlement after a $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over alleged tax return leaks. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the fund's existence, suggesting that it is not limited to those tied to the January 6 events but instead aims to address broader claims of political “weaponization,” according to LA Times, Reuters, Al Jazeera, and NPR.

In their complaint, the officers express concern that the existence of the fund sends a "chilling message" that individuals can enact violence in Trump's name while being rewarded for it, worsening the credible threats they face on a daily basis. The lawsuit claims that without immediate action to dissolve the fund, it will lead to public financing of violence against law enforcement and escalate risks to the officers involved in defending the Capitol during the riot. It's argued that over 1,600 individuals have been charged in relation to January 6, many of whom received pardons from Trump, further complicating the narrative around justice and accountability for the events of that day, as reported by LA Times, Reuters, Al Jazeera, and NPR.