Blanche Refuses to Bar January 6 Rioters from $1.776B Anti-Weaponization Fund

Blanche doesn’t rule out paying violent January 6 rioters.

That’s the headline. The reality is messier. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stood before Congress on Tuesday and refused to say whether people who assaulted police officers would be barred from the new $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund.”

He said all people can apply if they “believe they were a victim of weaponization.”

Simple. Vague. Dangerous.

Blanche didn’t commit to restricting payouts to those convicted of violence. He didn’t commit to excluding the rowdy ones who broke ribs and smashed windows. He just said he’d make sure the commissioners do their jobs. The commissioners are five members he appoints. They set the guidelines.

Sen. Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat, pressed him. Blanche didn’t flinch.

The fund was announced Monday. It pays individuals who believe they were targeted politically by the prior administration. Blanche called it “unusual” but not unprecedented. He insisted the beneficiaries won’t be limited to Republicans. He even named Hunter Biden as someone who could apply. Hunter faced gun and tax prosecutions under his father’s watch.

Make no mistake. This isn’t just about fairness. It’s about control.

Blanche took the reins of the Justice Department last month after Pam Bondi’s firing. He’s moved aggressively. He’s advancing the president’s priorities. He’s pushing cases against Trump’s political foes. He’s cracking down on leaks. He’s establishing this fund to resolve Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns.

Democrats called it an illegal abuse of power. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, top Democrat on the Senate appropriations subcommittee, blasted the move. They said it’s designed to line the pockets of Trump supporters with taxpayer dollars.

Blanche defended the fund without acknowledging one glaring fact. The Trump administration has pursued investigations of Trump’s political opponents. The department is being weaponized. Just like they allege it was under Biden. Just like they claim.

The short version? Blanche is betting on a commission to sort out who gets paid. He’s betting the guidelines will be fair. He’s betting the rioters won’t slip through.

Worth watching.

The fund is $1.776 billion. That’s a lot of taxpayer money. It’s enough to rebuild the entire Western Slope highway system twice over. It’s enough to cover Delta County’s road maintenance budget for a decade. It’s enough to pay for every single criminal prosecution in Colorado for the next five years.

And Blanche says anyone who believes they were targeted can apply.

He didn’t say “convicted.” He didn’t say “proven.” He said “believe.”

That’s the loophole. That’s the risk.

Blanche appeared before Congress for the first time since taking over. He was peppered with questions. The hearing was meant to address the budget request. It quickly delved into other controversies. Concerns about the erosion of the law enforcement agency’s tradition of independence from the White House.

Blanche didn’t shy away from the criticism. He didn’t offer a new strategy. He offered the same old defense. The fund is unusual. The fund is necessary. The fund is legal.

But the rioters? They’re still in the running.

If you were a January 6 defendant who assaulted an officer, you can apply. If you were a January 6 defendant who just stood there and watched, you can apply. If you were a January 6 defendant who got convicted, you can apply.

Blanche didn’t rule any of them out.

The commission will decide. Five members. Appointed by Blanche. Setting the guidelines.

That’s the bet.

Read that again. The man who appointed them sets the guidelines. The man who appointed them decides who gets paid. The man who appointed them is defending a fund that Trump sued for $10 billion.

It’s a circle. A closed loop.

The Western Slope doesn’t need another abstract debate about federal funds. We need to know who’s paying. We need to know who’s getting paid. We need to know if the rioters are getting a payout while we’re still paying off our own infrastructure.

Blanche says the decisions will be made by the commissioners. He says they’ll set guidelines. He doesn’t say when. He doesn’t say how. He just says they’ll do their jobs.

That’s all we have for now.