Anderson Cooper Discusses Pardoned January 6 Rioter Linked to Fraudulent Restitution Claim

đź“° Original title: CNN's Anderson Cooper amazed pardoned J6 rioter may have predicted his own payoff

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#justice #trump #jan6 #pa...

Anderson Cooper Discusses Pardoned January 6 Rioter Linked to Fraudulent Restitution Claim

CNN's Anderson Cooper highlighted a surprising case involving a pardoned participant in the January 6 Capitol insurrection. Edward Kelly, convicted in 2024 for plotting to kill FBI agents who investigated him, is serving a life sentence. In contrast, Andrew Paul Johnson, another rioter, received a pardon from former President Trump last year but was later arrested in Florida on child sex abuse charges. Johnson allegedly attempted to pay one of his victims $10 million, calling it 'restitution' for his involvement in January 6. Cooper noted the unusual timing, as the Trump Department of Justice had established a $1.776 billion fund to compensate individuals claiming they were wrongly prosecuted by the Biden administration. Leaked guidelines specify that the government cannot be held liable for crimes committed after the funds are disbursed, prompting Cooper to question whether Johnson might actually qualify for the payment. The case illustrates the complexities and controversies surrounding post-pardon legal accountability and federal restitution programs, raising questions about oversight, eligibility, and the potential misuse of government funds. The story has sparked public debate about accountability for pardoned political actors and the ethical implications of such financial programs.

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Anderson Cooper Discusses Pardoned January 6 Rioter Linked to Fraudulent Restitution Claim

đź“° Original title: CNN's Anderson Cooper amazed pardoned J6 rioter may have predicted his own payoff

🤖 IA: It's clickbait ⚠️
👥 Users: It's clickbait ⚠️

View full AI summary: https://en.killbait.com/anderson-cooper-discusses-pardoned-january-6-rioter-linked-to-fraudulent-restitution-claim.html?utm_source=mastodon_social&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=killbait.mastodon_social

#justice #trump #jan6 #...

Anderson Cooper Discusses Pardoned January 6 Rioter Linked to Fraudulent Restitution Claim

CNN's Anderson Cooper highlighted a surprising case involving a pardoned participant in the January 6 Capitol insurrection. Edward Kelly, convicted in 2024 for plotting to kill FBI agents who investigated him, is serving a life sentence. In contrast, Andrew Paul Johnson, another rioter, received a pardon from former President Trump last year but was later arrested in Florida on child sex abuse charges. Johnson allegedly attempted to pay one of his victims $10 million, calling it 'restitution' for his involvement in January 6. Cooper noted the unusual timing, as the Trump Department of Justice had established a $1.776 billion fund to compensate individuals claiming they were wrongly prosecuted by the Biden administration. Leaked guidelines specify that the government cannot be held liable for crimes committed after the funds are disbursed, prompting Cooper to question whether Johnson might actually qualify for the payment. The case illustrates the complexities and controversies surrounding post-pardon legal accountability and federal restitution programs, raising questions about oversight, eligibility, and the potential misuse of government funds. The story has sparked public debate about accountability for pardoned political actors and the ethical implications of such financial programs.

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"Trump is... using the #IRS—which is under his executive purview—to get him & his friends paid...

little to no oversight ... aren’t required to reveal who the money goes to...

“ #DonaldTrump wants to settle his joke lawsuit against his own IRS department to hand out $1.7 BILLION of OUR TAX DOLLARS to #Jan6 insurrectionists and his cronies.” The #Justice [?] Dept later announced the fund would total almost $1.8 billion."
https://newrepublic.com/post/210561/trump-create-nearly-2-billion-maga-slush-fund-irs-lawsuit-january-6

#Trump #Corruption #GOP #Politics #News #US #USA

@Nonilex The next #coup will be better funded. How explicit does this have to get before something, anything, is done? #jan6 #Project2025 #heritagefoundation #MAGATraitors

Republican President Donald Trump Just Gave Himself a $1.8 Billion Slush Fund to Reward His Friends – Mother Jones

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/05/trump-irs-settlement-slush-fund-doj/

#Trump #Jan6 #insurrectionists #MAGA #DOJ

Trump just gave himself a $1.8 billion slush fund to reward his friends

We don't know whether there was a settlement deal or what was in it—and that's the problem.

Mother Jones

Trump dismisses $10B IRS lawsuit as DOJ reportedly finalizes $1.776B fund for his allies - JURIST

https://www.jurist.org/news/2026/05/trump-dismisses-10b-irs-lawsuit-as-doj-reportedly-finalizes-1-776b-fund-for-his-allies/

According to reporting, the commission would compensate individuals who claim they were harmed by what the Trump administration characterizes as the Biden-era “weaponization” of the federal government, potentially including Jan. 6 defendants. The first four digits of the reported figure — 1776 — nod to the year of American independence.

#MAGA #Jan6 #insurrectionists #Trump

@stevenrosenthal @dannotdaniel There are so many Trump crimes and corrupt dealings. I still think the attempted #Jan6 coup d’état is the worst. He has been impeached twice, without penalty. He is a convicted felon and loser of many civil suits. Never punished, seldom pays in any way. I could go on a long time. I can’t understand why is still around.

#JamieRaskin also says, if #Democrats take back one or both chambers of #Congress, they will shut down this crazy illegal #MAGASlushFund, & use #oversight power to compel release of a list of any / all payments made between now & 2027.

So #VOTE!!!!!!

#Trump #criminal #law #DOJ #theft #TaxpayersMoney #kleptocracy #MafiaState #Jan6 #militia #MAGASlushFund

#Trump & his lawyers “are figuring out a way to refund the January 6 militia, presumably to get them ready for the next round of battle," says #JamieRaskin in this prescient piece:

https://newrepublic.com/article/210521/trump-settlement-irs-slush-fund

#criminal #law #Jan6 #insurrection #militia #TaxpayersMoney #DOJ #kleptocracy #MafiaState #MAGASlushFund

Trump’s $10 Billion Shakedown of IRS Takes Unnervingly Corrupt Turn

The president’s “settlement” with the IRS appears set to give him a slush fund of $1.7 billion to dole out to allies. How unconstitutional is it? Jamie Raskin counts the ways.

The New Republic

⬆️ Come on, @RollingStone @politics-news- [email protected]

Do better with your headlines.

#Trump agrees to settle his suit against #IRS in exchange for $1.776 Billion of our taxpayer money to pay out to #Jan6 coupists and rioters who sought to invalidate our votes to keep Trump in office illegally.

What a disgrace!

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-creates-fund-taxpayer-money-allies-1235564569/

Trump Creates $1.776 Billion Fund to Send Taxpayer Money to Allies

Donald Trump's Justice Department has created a fund to send taxpayer money to those who have been wronged by the Biden administration and others.

Rolling Stone