U.S. government to compensate family of Jan. 6 rioter Ashli Babbitt with nearly million.
The administration of former President Donald Trump has reportedly agreed to a settlement of nearly million to the family of Ashli Babbitt, who was fatally shot by law enforcement during the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Babbitt, a supporter of Trump, attempted to breach a barricaded area known as the Speaker’s Lobby when she was shot by Capitol Police.
The Babbitt family initially filed a wrongful death lawsuit in early 2024, seeking million in damages. Recent developments indicate that both parties reached a tentative settlement earlier this month, with just under million slated for the family, although specific terms have yet to be disclosed. The settlement comes in the wake of a contentious timeline that had the case set for trial in July 2026. A federal judge overseeing the matter has directed both sides to provide updates soon.
Despite the Justice Department’s earlier resistance in the case, sources revealed that the settlement would allocate approximately one-third of the total to Babbitt’s attorneys. Included among them are representatives from the conservative group Judicial Watch and Richard Driscoll, a lawyer based in Alexandria, Virginia. Officials from the U.S. attorney’s office for the District of Columbia and Babbitt’s legal team did not respond to media inquiries regarding the settlement.
The settlement follows a broader narrative in which Trump has positioned Babbitt as a martyr for purportedly defending American values during the Capitol riot. Five individuals died as a direct or immediate consequence of the events that day, with over 140 law enforcement officers sustaining injuries while enforcing order.
Further complicating the political landscape, tensions within Republican leadership have emerged. In 2023, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy faced backlash for supporting the officer involved in Babbitt’s death, claiming that the officer had acted appropriately under the circumstances. Following McCarthy’s departure from leadership, Mike Johnson assumed the role and has been instrumental in attempting to reverse the certification of the 2020 election results.
While the officer who shot Babbitt was cleared by a Capitol Police investigation—in which officials concluded that his actions were justified in response to the chaotic environment—it remains a polarizing topic. Babbitt, an Air Force veteran, was shot while attempting to climb through a broken glass panel at approximately 2:44 p.m. on January 6, 2021. The Justice Department later determined that there was insufficient evidence to support claims that Babbitt’s civil rights had been violated during the incident.
Babbitt’s family contended that the shooting was a result of negligence, asserting that she was unarmed and posed no threat. Various legal and political ramifications surrounding the January 6 events continue to send ripples through the U.S. political landscape. As discussions of accountability and justice persist, this settlement underscores the ongoing implications of that fateful day at the Capitol.
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