Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche wouldn't rule out the possibility that rioters who attacked police at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, could receive payments from a new $1.8 billion taxpayer fund being created by the Justice Department.
"Anybody in this country is eligible to apply if they believe they were victims of weaponization," Blanche said Tuesday while testifying at a Senate hearing.
The fund, which was disclosed by the U.S. Justice Department Monday, will be managed by a group of five commissioners appointed by Blanche. He said the commissioners will establish the procedures for who will receive payments and how much they will get.
"The commissioners will set rules," Blanche said. "That's not for me to set."
The new fund is being created as part of a deal under which President Donald Trump agreed to drop his $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over a 2019 leak of his tax information. The Justice Department said individuals and entities can make claims based on allegations that they've been victims of government weaponization, regardless of political party.
The fund has been questioned by senators in both parties, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who said he's "not a big fan" when asked by reporters about it Tuesday. "I don't see a purpose for that."
Democratic senators criticized the idea that payments could be made to rioters who attacked the U.S. Capitol in an effort to help Trump remain president after he lost the election to Joe Biden, especially those who were convicted.
Trump has referred to the rioters as patriots and gave them blanket pardons, even though some of them pleaded guilty or were convicted.
"This is an outrageous, unprecedented slush fund," said Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, the top Democrat on the Senate appropriations subcommittee that oversees the Justice Department's budget.
Van Hollen said he hopes the commission sets up a rule that would prevent payments from being made to anyone convicted of assaulting police during the Jan. 6 riot.
Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon asked Blanche whether he believes payments should be made to individuals convicted of assaulting police.
"You have complete power over who you appoint so you have huge influence," Merkley said.
Blanche disputed that the fund will be used exclusively to benefit Trump's allies or conservatives, at one point saying Biden's son, Hunter, could apply. Hunter Biden was prosecuted by the Justice Department when his father was president for gun and tax crimes.
Blanche also said he can't guarantee that all the commission's activities will be made public.
"There's privacy laws that exist, so I don't want to sit here today and say every scintilla of data collected will be released," Blanche said. "I very much anticipate that the claims that are awarded, the basis and the amount will, for sure, be made public along the way."
Blanche, however, told Senator Chris Coons of Delaware that no members of Trump's family will get payouts.
But he refused to rule out funds going to Trump campaign donors.
"Anybody can apply," Blanche said. "Anybody in this country can apply."
