Trump DOJ refuses to hand over pardoned rioter's repayment
A man displays a sign supporting MAGA as people gather outside the U.S. Capitol in memory of those who died on, or in the aftermath, on the fifth anniversary of the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
The Justice Department is refusing to return $2,000 in restitution paid by Felicia Konold, a pardoned Arizona Capitol rioter.
The DOJ argues her conviction was final when she received President Donald Trump's pardon and hasn't been vacated, CNN reported Friday.
Konold, who pleaded guilty to obstructing law enforcement and served 45 days in prison, joined the Proud Boys in breaching police barricades on Jan. 6.
The DOJ distinguishes between rioters with pending appeals at pardon time who are allowed to drop restitution payments, and those like Konold, whose convictions were already final.
This selective enforcement contradicts the Trump administration's simultaneous push for a now-defunct $1.776 billion fund, allegedly compensating victims of "weaponized prosecutions."
The fund drew bipartisan criticism before the Senate pressured acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to rescind it. He suggested, instead, that alleged victims pursue civil lawsuits.
A D.C. appeals court is weighing related challenges from multiple defendants.