Yet another chapter of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol incursion saga appears to have been closed — and this one is coming with a hefty price tag.
The administration of President Donald Trump has reached a $5 million settlement agreement with the family of Ashli Babbitt over her death, according to The Washington Post.
Babbitt, an Air Force veteran and avid Trump supporter, was fatally shot in the neck by Capitol police during the incident.
The settlement should avert a $30 million civil suit filed by Babbitt’s family against the administration of former President Joe Biden in early 2024, as noted by CBS News.
“[Babbitt’s] hands were up in the air, empty, and in plain view of Lt. Byrd and other officers in the lobby,” the complaint alleged. “Ashli posed no threat to the safety of anyone.”
The larger civil suit argued that Lt. Michael Byrd was acting negligently when he opened fire on Babbitt, who was unarmed at the time, during the Capitol incident.
The civil suit would’ve taken place in July 2026.
Of note, no final deal appears to have been reached yet with regards to this settlement.
Both sides of the suit are expected to give updates to the courts on Thursday.
Do you agree with this settlement?
The Post’s sources noted that the agreement between Babbitt’s estate and the Justice Department is in principle.
About a third of the $5 million awarded to Babbitt’s family is earmarked for legal fees as well.
This chapter has been an especially controversial one.
Adding to the controversy, video showed that Babbitt appeared to be confronting a particularly violent demonstrator when she was shot.
Trump, for his part, has long been a vocal sympathizer with Babbitt and her family, condemning the actions of Capitol police in this instance. In fact, the president made it a point to reach out to Babbitt’s mother.
“We love Ashli, and it was so horrible what happened to her,” Trump told Babbitt’s mother. “That man [who] shot Ashli is a disgrace and then he goes on television and it looks like he was actually bragging about it.”
Reactions to news about the potential settlement have mostly gone along party lines, perhaps unsurprisingly.
Democrats have been deriding the deal as Trump gifting $5 million in taxpayer dollars to an “insurrectionist.”
Conservative Republicans, meanwhile, have lauded the deal as long overdue and not nearly enough for Babbitt’s family.
Due to this being a settlement, there doesn’t appear to be any admission of guilt from the U.S. government.
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