The U.S. Department of Justice is considering a $1.776 billion [1] compensation fund for individuals who claim they were targeted by the Biden administration.

This move marks a significant shift in federal legal policy by potentially providing financial restitution to individuals convicted of crimes during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. The fund would target those who believe the justice system was weaponized for political purposes.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the proposal on Monday. The fund, described as an "anti-weaponization" initiative, is intended to compensate people who say they have been victimized by the previous administration's legal actions [1]. While some reports round the total to $1.8 billion [2] or state it is over $1.7 billion [3], the specific figure cited is $1.776 billion [1].

Blanche is scheduled to testify before Congress on Tuesday, May 20, to address the proposal. Lawmakers are expected to question the legal basis for paying individuals who were convicted of federal crimes, a process that typically involves penalties rather than payouts.

The Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., has not yet released the specific criteria for eligibility. However, the proposal explicitly includes the possibility of payments to allies of President Trump and those involved in the events of Jan. 6 who claim wrongful targeting [1], [2].

This initiative follows a broader effort by the current administration to review cases from the previous term. The scale of the fund suggests a wide-reaching application of these reviews across various federal prosecutions.

“The Justice Department is considering a $1.776 billion "anti‑weaponization" compensation fund.”

The creation of this fund would represent an unprecedented use of Department of Justice resources to financially remunerate individuals convicted of federal crimes. By framing these prosecutions as 'weaponization,' the administration is attempting to delegitimize the legal proceedings of the prior executive branch and establish a financial precedent for political restitution.