Posted on 05/19/2025 4:08:56 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
The payment, if approved, would represent an extraordinary concession by the Justice Department, which prosecuted nearly 1,600 people in connection with the riot.
The Justice Department is discussing giving the relatives of Ashli Babbitt, an Air Force veteran killed by the police during the storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, about $5 million to settle a wrongful-death lawsuit they brought against the government last year, according to two people familiar with the matter.
But the people cautioned that the negotiations, which have largely taken place since President Trump took office, have not yet been finalized.
A tentative settlement agreement was announced at a hearing this month in Federal District Court in Washington, but lawyers for the Justice Department and Ms. Babbitt’s family did not mention an amount at the time. In its initial complaint, filed in January 2024 during the Biden administration, the family had asked for $30 million.
Still, the payment of about $5 million, if approved, would represent an extraordinary concession by the Justice Department, which prosecuted nearly 1,600 people in connection with the riot. It would also serve as another symbol of the vocal support that Mr. Trump has long shown to those who took part in the Capitol attack, joining efforts like the sprawling grants of clemency he gave the rioters on his first day back in office.
Ms. Babbitt, a fervent Trump supporter and believer in the QAnon conspiracy theory, was shot and killed by a Capitol Police officer, Michael Byrd, while she was in a crowd that was trying to break into an area outside the House floor known as the Speaker’s Lobby. After a three-month investigation, prosecutors decided not to pursue criminal charges against Officer Byrd.
Ms. Babbitt’s family may not be the only people connected to Jan. 6 to eventually...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Every single J6 protester who was maliciously prosecuted needs to sue the US government so that Trump can settle.
A riot?
They can go piss up a rope.
My big blue eyes. Very few of them were ever actually prosecuted. Most of them were just thrown in jail without ever being charged with anything.
And arrest, convict and jail the guy who shot her.
Impeach
Ashley Babbitt was unarmed and murdered in cold blood.
George Floyd’s family got $27 million. He was a criminal, high on drugs, died of an overdose.
$5 million is not enough in this case.
The agent who killed her should be fired and tried for murder - the same way Derek Chauvin was treated.
If that doesn't work, or even if it does work, sue him in his individual capacity and let him deal with that for several years.
Police officers who may be inclined to do the work of a corrupt government must know there is a personal risk with such behavior - even in a well-mannered, polite society.
Bankrupt Comey & Co. to pay.
Yes indeed, they should.
You guys are just too merciful. The family should be compensated AND get private time in a secure room with Capitol Policeman Byrd. Preferably with a wood chipper hooked up to the window.
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