As if Donald Trump hadn’t already done enough for Jan. 6 rioters, the president broke new ground in March, endorsing the idea of a possible “compensation fund” for those who attacked the U.S. Capitol in his name. As we discussed soon after, Trump didn’t elaborate on the details, but taken at face value, he appeared to be describing what would effectively be financial rewards for the criminals he pardoned.
Weeks later, Trump’s Justice Department brought the effort into focus, arguing in a court filing that Jan. 6 defendants whose convictions were wiped out by Trump are entitled to a refund of restitution payments they made to cover damage to the Capitol.
Though congressional Democrats pushed back against the plan, it’s apparently happening anyway. Politico reported:
A federal judge has authorized a $2,200 refund to a Jan. 6 rioter whose felony conviction was dropped after President Donald Trump issued a blanket pardon to those who breached the Capitol or attacked police. It is the first time a pardoned Jan. 6 defendant has received a refund of the fines and restitution that many were ordered to pay, even though the Justice Department endorsed the refunds in April.
Two years ago, Jan. 6 rioter Yvonne St. Cyr was charged and convicted of two felony counts of impeding police during a civil disorder. After showing no remorse for her crimes, she was sentenced to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution.
Now, with a presidential pardon in hand, she’s not just free, she’s getting her money back — though the judge in the case didn’t sound altogether happy about it.
“Sometimes a judge is called upon to do what the law requires, even if it may seem at odds with what justice or one’s initial instincts might warrant,” wrote U.S. District Judge John Bates, a George W. Bush appointee. “This is one such occasion.”
While much of the public has probably heard about Jan. 6 convictions and pardons, many Americans might not realize that convicted Jan. 6 criminals also had to pay financial penalties as part of their prosecutions.
As a USA Today report explained earlier this year, “Most defendants convicted for the Capitol insurrection were required to pay restitution to the Architect of the Capitol, who maintains the building and grounds, to help cover the costs of repairing the estimated $3 million in damage. Those convicted of felonies typically paid $2,000 and those convicted of misdemeanors typically paid $500.” There’s still some question as to just how much money has been recovered, but CBS News last year concluded that the total was roughly $437,000. Now, at the Trump administration’s urging, money is supposed to start flowing in the opposite direction. The St. Cyr case was the first, though it’s unlikely to be the last. This post updates our related earlier coverage.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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