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By Gabe Whisnant and Sonam Sheth
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The Trump administration has agreed to pay nearly $5 million to the family of Ashli Babbitt to settle a lawsuit brought by Babbitt's estate, The Associated Press reported on Monday, citing a person with knowledge of the settlement.
Newsweek reached out to a Department of Justice (DOJ) spokesperson for comment via email on Monday.
The Context
Babbitt was an Air Force veteran and a staunch Trump supporter who was fatally shot by a U.S. Capitol Police officer on January 6, 2021, as she was attempting to enter the House Speaker's Lobby during the riot at the U.S. Capitol.
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She was one of thousands of Trump supporters who rioted at the Capitol to try to block Congress from certifying Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election. Babbitt's estate filed a $30 million wrongful death lawsuit against the U.S. government last year.
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What To Know
According to The Washington Post, the settlement between the U.S. Department of Justice and Babbitt's estate does not include an admission of wrongdoing.
President Donald Trump, who urged his supporters to "stop the steal" at a rally in Washington before the riot, has championed Babbitt as a hero and referred to the more than 1,200 people who were convicted over the riot as "J6 hostages."
Trump pardoned or commuted the sentences of all convicted rioters on his first day back in office on January 20.
He also directed that all "who are currently held in prison" be "released immediately" and ordered the attorney general "to pursue dismissal with prejudice to the government of all pending indictments" in cases connected to the riot. Dismissing a case "with prejudice" means it cannot be refiled using the same facts that were cited in the original complaint.
Babbitt's estate filed the wrongful death lawsuit last year, alleging that the Capitol Police officer who fatally shot her failed to deescalate the situation and did not give her any warnings or commands before firing his gun.
"Ashli posed no threat to anyone," the lawsuit said of Babbitt, who was shot as she attempted to climb through the broken window of a barricaded door while Trump supporters tried to get into the House chamber.
In August 2021, the officer who shot Babbitt broke his silence and said in a television interview that he fired as a "last resort," adding that when he pulled the trigger, he didn't know if the person on the other side of the window was armed or unarmed.
The officer was cleared of wrongdoing by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and the Capitol Police.
What People Are Saying
Mark Zaid, a national security lawyer and frequent Trump critic, wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "Absolutely disgraceful. This will be an historical black stain - among so many others - on this Administration & those senior officials in Justice Department forever."
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said at a news conference on Monday: "This settlement is just an extension of what they've previously done, which is to pardon violent felons who violently attacked the Capitol on January 6, including police officers."
What Happens Next
Tom Fitton, the president of Judicial Watch, the conservative group representing Babbitt's family, told The Post his organization worked on the case pro bono and will not be getting "any money from the settlement."
Richard Driscoll, another lawyer involved in the case, told The Post Judicial Watch and the Babbitt family would pay for services that he provided.
The Associated Press contributed reporting to this story.
Update 5/19/25 10:05 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional information and context.
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