Family of Jan. 6 rioter killed in Capitol attack to get $5 million from Trump admin
Ashli Babbitt's family sued the Justice Department and the Trump administration reached a settlement with them.
- “I am extremely disappointed and disagree with this settlement," U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger told Paste BN in a statement
- The settlement comes after Trump granted clemency to about 1,500 defendants who faced charges for their alleged – and in many instances, convicted – roles in the attack.
The Trump administration will pay nearly $5 million to the estate of Ashli Babbitt, a pro-Trump rioter who was killed by law enforcement after invading the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to reports in The Washington Post and CNN.
Babbitt's family settled the case in Southern California federal court against the Justice Department in principle just over two weeks ago, but neither party announced a dollar amount, the reports said May 19.
U.S. Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd shot and killed Babbitt, 35, as members of Congress were still in the lobby after Trump supporters stormed the Capitol to try to stop congressional certification of Joe Biden's 2020 election victory.
“I am extremely disappointed and disagree with this settlement," U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger told Paste BN in a statement emailed by the Capitol Police's public information office. "In 2021, the DOJ investigation determined no wrongdoing by police. This settlement sends a chilling message to law enforcement nationwide, especially to those with a protective mission like ours.”
The parties had reached a settlement in principle in early May in the $30 million civil suit filed by the conservative activist group Judicial Watch on behalf of Babbitt's estate, including her late husband.
The Justice Department did did not immediately respond to Paste BN's request for comment, nor did Robert Sticht, a lawyer for Judicial Watch who represented the Babbitt estate.
Babbitt's mother, Micki Witthoeft, has emerged as a stalwart advocate for the Jan. 6 protesters who faced criminal charges in the months and years after the attack.
The settlement comes after Trump granted clemency to about 1,500 defendants who faced charges over accusations for their roles in their attack – and in many instances for people convicted for their actions.
Contributing: Ben Adler