Credit: DOJ

Senators follow up on previous letter amid reports that insurrectionists are now seeking financial compensation for legal consequences they suffered and requesting DOJ create a special panel to compensate them

Senators to AG Pam Bondi: “Using taxpayer funds to refund January 6 insurrectionists would be an illegal and corrupt abuse of the justice system.”

September 30, 2025 - WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) led seven of their Senate colleagues in demanding that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) abandon any efforts to refund or financially reward convicted January 6 insurrectionists.

The letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi comes amid reports that January 6 insurrectionists are now requesting compensation for the “harms” they suffered because they were prosecuted for their criminal actions. DOJ recently took a meeting with a lawyer for these insurrectionists in which the lawyer asked the Department to create a special panel, similar to that used to compensate September 11, 2001, victims, to issue cash rewards for these alleged damages. The Senators slammed this proposal as an “illegal and corrupt abuse of the justice system.”

Padilla, Durbin, and Klobuchar previously led their colleagues in denouncing DOJ’s court arguments that the federal government should refund insurrectionists for the restitution payments they made for damage they caused to the Capitol building. Since then, restitution refund requests have almost all been denied, but last month, a judge ordered the government to refund the restitution a January 6 insurrectionist paid before they were pardoned and their case was vacated. 

“These criminals are apparently demanding taxpayer compensation, not only to refund court-ordered restitution to cover damages they caused to the Capitol building, but also to compensate them for having to face the legal consequences of their criminal acts,” wrote the Senators. “While President Trump may have the authority to grant a blanket pardon to these insurrectionists, that miscarriage of justice does not give the Department the unilateral authority to refund or reward these criminals.”

“It is insulting for the Department to even entertain the idea of establishing a ‘victims’ fund for those who violently stormed the U.S. Capitol, injured more than 100 law enforcement officers, and caused nearly $3 million in property damages, which was left to the American taxpayers to cover,” continued the Senators. “Moreover, establishing a compensation fund for January 6 insurrectionists without congressional approval would violate federal law. Congress has provided no authorization or funding for such a misguided proposal, and we are confident that it will never do so.”

The violent mob that stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, attempting to prevent the certification of the 2020 election results caused roughly $3 million in damages to the Capitol building, injured more than 100 law enforcement officers, and threatened members and their staff. Damage to the building included widespread vandalism, ruined furniture, shattered glass, broken doors, defaced artwork, and the desecration of the halls of Congress. Convicted January 6 insurrectionists paid about $400,000 in court-ordered restitution to cover the damages they caused, which has since been transferred to the Treasury Department, from where the funds can only be withdrawn by Congress.

“Misusing taxpayer funds to financially reward those insurrectionists because they were prosecuted and convicted for their violent and destructive actions is unthinkable, and the Department should reject any such request,” concluded the Senators.

In addition to Padilla, Durbin, and Klobuchar, the letter was also signed by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).

Senator Padilla has repeatedly condemned the deadly January 6 Capitol insurrection and helped pass legislation to prevent similar attacks from threatening our democracy. He previously cosponsored and applauded the passage of the bipartisan Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act, which modernized the outdated Electoral Count Act of 1887 to ensure the electoral votes tallied by Congress accurately reflect each state’s vote for president.

Full text of the letter is available here and below:

Dear Attorney General Bondi:

We write to reiterate our strong objections to any efforts by the Department of Justice to refund restitution payments to or financially reward convicted January 6 insurrectionists and implore you to forgo any such actions. Using taxpayer funds to refund January 6 insurrectionists would be an illegal and corrupt abuse of the justice system.  

Our May 2, 2025 letter urged the Department of Justice to cease advancing arguments in court in support of refunding restitution payments made by convicted January 6 defendants, as it did on April 8, so that these individuals would be held responsible for the physical damage they caused to the Capitol. Over 120 days later, the Department has failed to respond to our letter or justify passing along to taxpayers the full cost of the damage caused during these insurrectionists’ attempt to obstruct the peaceful transfer of power.

Recently, there have been shocking reports that Department officials are meeting with representatives of January 6 insurrectionists who are seeking cash rewards for their violent and illegal behavior. These criminals are apparently demanding taxpayer compensation, not only to refund court-ordered restitution to cover damages they caused to the Capitol building, but also to compensate them for having to face the legal consequences of their criminal acts. While President Trump may have the authority to grant a blanket pardon to these insurrectionists, that miscarriage of justice does not give the Department the unilateral authority to refund or reward these criminals.

Multiple convicted January 6 insurrectionists have already asked courts to refund their previous restitution payments, and in all but one instance the courts have rejected the Justice Department’s assertions and rightfully held that such refunds are unlawful. Yet in an attempt to rewrite history and paint themselves as sympathetic victims, convicted January 6 insurrectionists are now going even further, urging the Justice Department to create a special panel, similar to that used to compensate September 11, 2001 victims, to award them money for the purported harms they suffered at the hands of the federal government. It is insulting for the Department to even entertain the idea of establishing a “victims” fund for those who violently stormed the U.S. Capitol, injured more than 100 law enforcement officers, and caused nearly $3 million in property damages, which was left to the American taxpayers to cover.

Moreover, establishing a compensation fund for January 6 insurrectionists without congressional approval would violate federal law. Congress has provided no authorization or funding for such a misguided proposal, and we are confident that it will never do so.

Misusing taxpayer funds to financially reward those insurrectionists because they were prosecuted and convicted for their violent and destructive actions is unthinkable, and the Department should reject any such request. Instead, we seek a response to this letter by October 10, 2025 confirming that the Department has no plans to pursue further refunds or rewards for anyone who took part in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Source: Senator Alex Padilla