House Speaker Mike Johnson declined Wednesday to say whether people convicted for their roles in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol could receive payments from President Donald Trump’s newly announced “Anti-Weaponization Fund.”
Speaking to reporters at a Capitol Hill press conference, Johnson said too little is known about the details of the fund to comment on who might qualify.
“We don’t know any of the details of that settlement fund,” Johnson said, referring to testimony earlier this week from acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. Johnson noted Blanche described the account as a way to compensate Americans who were allegedly targeted by what Republicans have called political “lawfare” and government weaponization.
When asked directly whether individuals convicted of assaulting Capitol Police officers on January 6 could be eligible for payments, Johnson avoided taking a position.
“He did not say who will be eligible,” Johnson said of Blanche’s testimony. “I’m not going to comment on that until it comes up.”
The controversy stems from a newly announced $1.8 billion fund created as part of a legal settlement between the Trump administration and the Internal Revenue Service. Trump had originally filed a $10 billion lawsuit over the release of his tax returns, arguing the disclosure was politically motivated.
The settlement immediately drew criticism from Democrats, who described the fund as a political payout account designed to reward Trump allies. Some Senate Republicans have also raised concerns, questioning how the money will be distributed and who will decide eligibility.
According to Blanche, final decisions about payouts will be made by a commission selected by the attorney general. Those members have not yet been named.
The Justice Department defended the fund in a statement, arguing that previous Democratic administrations misused federal agencies against political opponents.
“Previous Democrat administrations spent years weaponizing federal agencies against innocent Americans — including Republican members of Congress — for political gain,” a DOJ spokesperson said. “Under President Trump’s leadership, this Department of Justice is committed to righting those wrongs and making lawfare victims whole.”
The political debate over the fund comes as tensions continue to rise on Capitol Hill over foreign policy.
House Republican leaders abruptly canceled a scheduled vote Wednesday on a resolution aimed at limiting Trump’s war powers regarding Iran. According to multiple congressional sources, GOP leadership feared the measure could pass because of Republican absences and defections.
The vote is now expected to take place Thursday, just one day after the Senate advanced its own war powers resolution in a rare bipartisan rebuke of the president.