The U.S. government has agreed to pay nearly $5 million to the family of Ashli Babbitt, the woman fatally shot by Capitol Police during the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, The Washington Post reported.
Babbitt, 35, was shot while attempting to climb through a broken window leading to the House Speaker’s lobby as rioters stormed Congress in an effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. A supporter of then-President Donald Trump, Babbitt quickly became a symbol among far-right circles, with many viewing her as a martyr.
Her estate filed a $30 million wrongful death lawsuit in 2023. Although a trial was initially set, the U.S. Department of Justice opted to pursue a settlement after Trump’s return to the presidency in November 2024. The deal, reportedly finalized behind closed doors, awards the Babbitt family close to $5 million.
The officer who fired the fatal shot was previously cleared of any wrongdoing, but Trump has continued to denounce the shooting as unjustified, describing Babbitt as “innocent.”
Babbitt’s estate was represented by the conservative legal advocacy group Judicial Watch. The settlement follows Trump’s sweeping pardons of over 1,500 January 6 participants, issued on his first day back in office.
The Capitol riot, which resulted in injuries to over 140 law enforcement officers, occurred after Trump delivered a speech near the White House, repeating baseless claims of election fraud and urging supporters to march on Congress.
Credit: PUNCH
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