Trump Administration to Pay Nearly $5M to Ashli Babbitt’s Family in Jan. 6 Shooting Settlement

The family of Ashli Babbitt, the woman fatally shot while trying to breach a barricaded area of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, is set to receive nearly $5 million in a settlement with the Trump administration.

The payout marks the resolution of a $30 million lawsuit filed by Babbitt’s estate alongside the conservative group Judicial Watch. The suit alleged that U.S. Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd acted negligently when he shot Babbitt as she tried to climb through a broken window outside the House Speaker’s Lobby, an area lawmakers were evacuating from.

Back in April 2021, the Justice Department cleared Lt. Byrd of any criminal wrongdoing, concluding that there was no evidence he "did not reasonably believe that it was necessary to do so in self defense or in defense of the Members of Congress and others evacuating the House Chamber."

A separate internal review by the Capitol Police echoed that conclusion, finding Byrd’s actions were "lawful and within Department policy" and stating he would not face disciplinary action.

In an August 2021 statement, the U.S. Capitol Police described Byrd’s actions as potentially lifesaving.

"The actions of the officer in this case potentially saved Members and staff from serious injury and possible death from a large crowd of rioters who forced their way into the U.S. Capitol and to the House Chamber where Members and staff were steps away," said the DOJ.

"USCP Officers had barricaded the Speaker's Lobby with furniture before a rioter shattered the glass door,” the agency continued. “If the doors were breached, the rioters would have immediate access to the House Chambers. The officer's actions were consistent with the officer's training and USCP policies and procedures.”

It remains unclear whether the Justice Department will alter its public position on the shooting or acknowledge any wrongdoing as part of the settlement.

Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger, however, made his opposition to the settlement known.

"In 2021, the DOJ investigation determined no wrongdoing by police. This settlement sends a chilling message to law enforcement nationwide, especially to those with a protective mission like ours," Manger told reporters.

"I am extremely disappointed and disagree with this settlement."

Although the lawsuit was filed under the Biden administration, recent court filings confirmed that an agreement in principle had been reached, though the terms were not disclosed until now.

Ashli Babbitt’s death has remained a flashpoint for President Donald Trump and his supporters. Trump has repeatedly invoked her name when defending rioters who stormed the Capitol in an effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

In one of his first acts after returning to office, Trump issued a sweeping pardon for nearly all of the roughly 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the Capitol attack. His proclamation described the DOJ’s investigation as "a grave national injustice."

Capitol Police Chief Manger, in response to the pardons, issued a strongly worded internal memo criticizing the move.

The decision, he wrote, "let violent criminals who attacked police officers off the hook" and those individuals "should be met with consequences, condemnation and accountability."

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