Vance Declined To Rule Out Potential Payouts for Jan. 6 Rioters Under ‘Anti-Weaponization Bond’

JD Vance declined to rule out the possibility that some Jan. 6 rioters could receive money from the Justice Department's new "anti-weaponization" fund, even as he defended the program as a way to compensate people he says were targeted for their political beliefs.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Vance said the roughly 1.8 billion dollar fund is intended for Americans who were "mistreated" by what he called political "lawfare" under the Biden administration.

He argued the program is focused on people who can show they were unfairly prosecuted or otherwise harmed, but acknowledged there will be a formal process to decide who qualifies. Vance did not directly answer when asked whether January 6 defendants convicted of violent offenses could ever be approved for compensation, according to ABC News.

The fund, established as part of a settlement of Donald Trump's lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax records, will be administered by a commission appointed by the attorney general.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, testifying on Capitol Hill, similarly refused to categorically exclude January 6 rioters who assaulted police officers from applying for payouts. Blanche told senators that "any" eligible claimant can apply and said the commission, not political officials, would set the final eligibility rules, CNBC reported.

The Justice Department announced the "Anti-Weaponization Fund" this week as a mechanism for people who say they were victims of politically motivated investigations to seek financial compensation or formal apologies.

The department has not yet released detailed written criteria for who can receive payments, leaving key questions unresolved about whether defendants in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack may be covered.

Vance's comments mark a notable contrast with his earlier public stance against pardons for those who "inflicted violence" on January 6, when he said such individuals "clearly" should not receive clemency.

He has argued in the past that violent offenders should be treated differently from nonviolent participants, while also emphasizing that people he considers to have been unfairly targeted should have a path to relief, as per Yahoo News.