Former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn and Metropolitan Police sergeant Daniel Hodges filed a suit Wednesday seeking an injunction against a $1.8 billion payout fund the Trump administration created to compensate individuals they say participated in the Jan. 6 insurrection. The complaint names former President Donald Trump, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as defendants, alleging the fund exceeds statutory authority.

Critics argue the pool is a backdoor channel for taxpayer dollars to reward the roughly 1,600 defendants charged in the Capitol breach, many of whom received pardons or commutations after Trump’s 2025 reelection. Dunn, now campaigning as a Democrat in Maryland, and Hodges testified before Congress describing the melee that injured more than 150 officers, some with severe head trauma.

The Treasury’s attempt to allocate the $1.8 billion without congressional approval could trigger a fiscal showdown, forcing the House Ways and Means Committee to scrutinize the disbursement mechanism and potentially halt the outlay. Financial markets may react to any legal setback, as Treasury securities could face pressure from uncertainty over unapproved spending. Courts will decide whether the fund can proceed.