Former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) launched a blistering attack on acting Attorney General Todd Blanche Thursday, accusing him of endorsing what he called a “slush fund” that could compensate individuals convicted of assaulting law enforcement during the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
The controversy centers on a proposed $1.8 billion legal compensation fund, which the Trump administration has pitched as an “anti-weaponization” measure for people who claim they were wrongfully prosecuted by the Justice Department. Critics across both parties have warned the fund could be used to pay those found guilty of attacking Capitol Police officers, and Blanche has not ruled out such claims.
“So the nation’s top law enforcement official is asking for a slush fund to pay people who assault cops? Utterly stupid, morally wrong – Take your pick,” McConnell said in a sharply worded statement following a closed-door meeting between Blanche and Senate Republicans.
Several defendants convicted for their roles in the January 6 attack have already signaled plans to apply for compensation from the fund. The proposal has reignited tensions within the GOP, with many senators voicing strong objections during Thursday’s more than hour-long session with Blanche.
Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), a rising figure in the Senate GOP, told reporters afterward that she would have serious concerns about compensating individuals convicted of attacking Capitol Police officers. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) was particularly forceful, confronting Blanche directly over the fund’s potential scope.
“Imagine that, a fund that is set up to compensate people who assaulted Capitol Police officers and other responding agencies. People that had pled guilty to physical acts against the president may actually be able to get compensated. How absurd does that sound coming out of my mouth?” Tillis said before the meeting.
Republican senators pressed Blanche to impose guardrails on the fund and give Congress greater oversight in selecting commissioners, but the acting attorney general resisted those changes, according to people briefed on the discussion. Blanche has defended the fund by arguing that people who hurt police receive compensation all the time, but that rationale has done little to quell GOP anger.
McConnell, who broke sharply with President Trump over the January 6 attack—though he did not vote to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial—has emerged as one of the most vocal critics of the fund. Blanche's efforts to sell the fund to skeptical Senate Republicans have so far fallen flat, with many demanding more transparency and accountability.
The fund has also drawn fire from outside the Capitol. Protesters projected a quote from New York City Mayor Eric Adams onto the Justice Department building in a demonstration against what they call a “slush fund” for Trump supporters and rioters. As the debate intensifies, Blanche faces mounting pressure to clarify who exactly would be eligible for compensation—and whether police assailants will be among them.
