Trump Makes Arrangements With Ashli Babbitt’s Family— $30 Million Capitol Shooting Lawsuit Settled Without Trial

In a $30 million wrongful death lawsuit after the Jan. 6 incident, the deal avoids trial.

A discreet deal has been struck between the Trump administration and the family of Ashli Babbitt, the Trump supporter who was shot and killed during the violent break-in at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Though it hasn’t been formally signed, sources told CBS News that both parties have agreed to the settlement in principle. In the $30 million legal claim brought on behalf of Babbitt’s estate by the conservative organization Judicial Watch, this action helps avert a high-profile trial.

According to Babbitt’s estate attorneys, she was shot while trying to enter the Speaker’s Lobby through a broken window, only a few steps from where members of Congress were evacuating, with her hands up and visible and unarmed.

Byrd was defended by the Justice Department, which maintained that his actions were legal in order to safeguard Congress. The government clarified in its pleadings that Babbitt had tried to break through a barred area after illegally entering the Capitol. Byrd, who was positioned on the opposite side, stopped additional danger by firing one lethal shot.

Byrd was found not guilty in an internal Capitol Police inquiry conducted in August 2021, which described his actions as potentially life-saving as rioters approached the House Chamber.

This chapter follows a broad action by President Trump, who removed prosecutors engaged in the Jan. 6 cases and pardoned more than 1,500 detainees in the Capitol riots immediately after taking office. The administration, according to former prosecutor Brendan Ballou, is attempting to obliterate the history of that day.

“We want Jan. 6 to be forgotten,” Ballou told CBS News. “That is essential to many political careers.”

Although the Babbitt family’s case is about to be settled, discussions about responsibility and the significance of January 6 will still rage across the country.