Case: Dunn v. Trump

1:26-cv-01719 | U.S. District Court for the District of District of Columbia

Filed Date: May 20, 2026

Case Ongoing

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Case Summary

(This summary is temporary while we research the case further). A former U.S. Capitol Police officer an active Metropolitan Police Department officer filed suit on May 20, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against President Donald J. Trump, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, and Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, each sued in their official capacities. Both plaintiffs had defended the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, facing extreme violence during the attack, and have since experienced persistent death threats, harassment, and physical confrontations — including being named on a public "retribution list" — following President Trump's January 20, 2025, pardons of nearly 1,600 individuals charged in connection with the January 6 attack. The plaintiffs allege that in January 2026, Trump and his family filed a frivolous $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Treasury Department (Trump v. IRS, No. 1:26-cv-20609), which the Department of Justice (DOJ) settled on May 18, 2026, for $1,776,000,000 drawn from the Judgment Fund — just before the court's adversity brief was due — and that Defendants used the settlement to create an "Anti-Weaponization Fund," a five-member commission authorized to make confidential, unreviewable payments to purported victims of "lawfare" and "weaponization." Plaintiffs allege the Fund will be used to compensate January 6 rioters, including members of the Proud Boys paramilitary group, which has already threatened Dunn and Hodges by name, thereby increasing the risk of violence against them by signaling that attacks committed in Trump's name will be financially rewarded. The complaint asserts five counts — including violations of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), the Fourteenth Amendment's prohibition on paying insurrectionist debts, and *ultra vires* agency action — and seeks to have the Fund and all related fund transfers set aside, enjoined, and declared unconstitutional.

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People

For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73367403/parties/dunn-v-trump/

Judge(s)

Leon, Richard J. (District of Columbia)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Ballou, Brendan (District of Columbia)

Expert/Monitor/Master/Other

CAMP, JOSEPH A. (District of Columbia)

DEBERRY, SHAUNESI (District of Columbia)

GOODMAN, JASON (District of Columbia)

Judge(s)

Leon, Richard J. (District of Columbia)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Ballou, Brendan (District of Columbia)

Ward-Packard, Samuel (District of Columbia)

Other

CAMP, JOSEPH A. (District of Columbia)

DEBERRY, SHAUNESI (District of Columbia)

GOODMAN, JASON (District of Columbia)

Singhal, Kyle (District of Columbia)

SWEIGERT, D.G. (District of Columbia)

YOUNG, CINDY LOU (District of Columbia)

Attorney Contact Information via CourtListener

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

	Document
1 1:26-cv-01719	Complaint	May 20, 2026	May 20, 2026

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Docket

See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73367403/dunn-v-trump/

Last updated June 22, 2026, 11:31 a.m.

ECF Number	Description	Date	Link Date / Link
1	COMPLAINT against All Plaintiffs with Jury Demand ( Filing fee $ 405 receipt number ADCDC-12432684) filed by HARRY DUNN, DANIEL HODGES. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit Ex. 1 (Blanche letter), # 2 Exhibit Ex. 2 (Settlement agreement), # 3 Exhibit Ex. 3 (Press release), # 4 Exhibit Ex. 4 (May 19 settlement addendum), # 5 Civil Cover Sheet Civil cover sheet, # 6 Summons Summons (Bessent), # 7 Summons Summons (Blanche), # 8 Summons Summons (Pirro), # 9 Summons Summons (Trump))(Ballou, Brendan) (Entered: 05/20/2026) 1 Exhibit Ex. 1 (Blanche letter) View on RECAP 2 Exhibit Ex. 2 (Settlement agreement) View on RECAP 3 Exhibit Ex. 3 (Press release) View on RECAP 4 Exhibit Ex. 4 (May 19 settlement addendum) View on RECAP 5 Civil Cover Sheet Civil cover sheet View on RECAP 6 Summons Summons (Bessent) View on RECAP 7 Summons Summons (Blanche) View on RECAP 8 Summons Summons (Pirro) View on RECAP 9 Summons Summons (Trump) View on RECAP	May 20, 2026	May 20, 2026 Clearinghouse
2	SEALED MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE DOCUMENT UNDER SEAL filed by HARRY DUNN, DANIEL HODGES (This document is SEALED and only available to authorized persons.) (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit)(Ballou, Brendan) (Entered: 05/20/2026)	May 20, 2026	May 20, 2026
3	NOTICE of Appearance by Samuel Ward-Packard on behalf of All Plaintiffs (Ward-Packard, Samuel) (Entered: 05/20/2026)	May 20, 2026	May 20, 2026
5	MOTION for Leave to File Amicus Brief by SHAUNESI DEBERRY. (Attachments: # 1 Proposed Amicus Brief)(znmw) (Entered: 05/22/2026)	May 20, 2026	May 20, 2026
4	SUMMONS (4) Issued Electronically as to All Defendants, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachments: # 1 Notice and Consent)(znmw) (Entered: 05/21/2026) 1 Notice and Consent View on PACER	May 21, 2026	May 21, 2026 RECAP
7	MOTION for Leave to File Amicus Brief by JASON GOODMAN. (Attachments: # 1 Proposed Amicus Brief, # 2 Text of Proposed Order)(znmw) (Entered: 05/22/2026) 1 Proposed Amicus Brief View on RECAP 2 Text of Proposed Order View on PACER	May 21, 2026	May 21, 2026
	Case Assigned/Reassigned	May 21, 2026	May 21, 2026
	Case Assigned to Judge Richard J. Leon. (znmw)	May 21, 2026	May 21, 2026
	Notice of Error	May 21, 2026	May 21, 2026
	NOTICE OF ERROR regarding 1 Complaint. Please note the following error(s) going forward: Signature on document must match PACER login. (znmw)	May 21, 2026	May 21, 2026
6	MOTION for Leave to File Amicus Brief by CINDY LOU YOUNG. (Attachments: # 1 Proposed Amicus Brief)(znmw) (Entered: 05/22/2026) 1 View on RECAP	May 22, 2026	May 22, 2026
8	REQUEST FOR LEAVE TO FILE REVIEW. The attached document requires leave to file: NON-PARTY'S NOTICE of Related Case. Reason(s): Filer is not a party to the case. (mg) (Entered: 05/28/2026)	May 22, 2026	May 22, 2026
9	REQUEST FOR LEAVE TO FILE REVIEW. The attached document requires leave to file: NON-PARTY'S NOTICE of Related Case. Reason(s): Filer is not a party to the case. (mg) (Entered: 05/28/2026)	May 23, 2026	May 23, 2026
10	REQUEST FOR LEAVE TO FILE REVIEW. The attached document requires leave to file: NON-PARTY'S NOTICE of Related Case. Reason(s): Filer is not a party to the case. (mg) (Entered: 05/28/2026)	May 24, 2026	May 24, 2026
11	MOTION for Leave to File Amicus Brief by D.G. SWEIGERT. (mg) (Entered: 05/28/2026)	May 25, 2026	May 25, 2026
12	MOTION for Leave to File MOTION to Intervene by JOSEPH A. CAMP. (Attachments: # 1 Proposed Answer, # 2 Declaration)(mg) (Entered: 05/28/2026) 1 Proposed Answer View on PACER 2 Declaration View on PACER	May 26, 2026	May 26, 2026 RECAP
13	REQUEST FOR LEAVE TO FILE REVIEW. The attached document requires leave to file: NON-PARTY'S MOTION for Order. Reason(s): Filer is not a party to the case. (mg) (Entered: 05/28/2026)	May 26, 2026	May 26, 2026
14	SEALED DOCUMENT filed by HARRY DUNN, DANIEL HODGES. (This document is SEALED and only available to authorized persons.)(mg) (Entered: 05/28/2026)	May 28, 2026	May 28, 2026
	Order on Sealed Motion for Leave to File Document Under Seal	May 28, 2026	May 28, 2026
	MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of plaintiff's 2 Sealed Motion for Leave to File Document Under Seal, it is hereby ORDERED that the motion is GRANTED. ECF 2 shall be filed under seal. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Richard J. Leon on 5/28/2026. (lcrjl3)	May 28, 2026	May 28, 2026
17	MOTION to Intervene for Limited Purpose of Unsealing by JOSEPH A. CAMP. (mg) (Entered: 06/04/2026)	May 30, 2026	May 30, 2026 RECAP
18	REQUEST FOR LEAVE TO FILE REVIEW. The attached document requires leave to file: MOVANT, JOSEPH A. CAMP'S MOTION for Leave to File MOTION for Order, MOTION for Leave to file MOTION for Sanctions. Reason(s): Filer is not a party to the case. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit) (mg) (Entered: 06/04/2026)	May 30, 2026	May 30, 2026
15	MOTION to Intervene by KEVIN TRUDEAU. (Attachments: # 1 A (Claim), # 2 B (Proposed Answer), # 3 C (Declaration of Kevin Trudeau), # 4 Text of Proposed Order)(Singhal, Kyle) (Entered: 06/01/2026) 1 A (Claim) View on RECAP 2 B (Proposed Answer) View on RECAP 3 C (Declaration of Kevin Trudeau) View on RECAP 4 Text of Proposed Order View on RECAP	June 1, 2026	June 1, 2026 RECAP
16	MOTION for Leave to File SUPPLEMENTAL Amicus Brief by SHAUNESI DEBERRY. (Attachments: # 1 Supplemental Amicus Brief)(mg) (Entered: 06/03/2026) 1 Supplemental Amicus Brief View on RECAP	June 1, 2026	June 1, 2026 RECAP
19	MOTION to Intervene by GLENN STEPHENS. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit, # 2 Text of Proposed Order)(mg) (Entered: 06/12/2026) 1 Exhibit View on PACER 2 Text of Proposed Order View on PACER	June 9, 2026	June 9, 2026 RECAP
20	Renewed MOTION for Leave to File Amicus Brief by CINDY LOU YOUNG. (Attachments: # 1 Amicus Brief)(mg) (Entered: 06/15/2026)	June 11, 2026	June 11, 2026
	MINUTE ORDER. Upon consideration of the 5 Motion for Leave to File Amicus Brief, 6 Motion for Leave to File Amicus Brief, 7 Motion for Leave to File Amicus Brief, 11 Motion for Leave to File Amicus Brief, and 16 Motion for Leave to File Supplemental Amicus Brief, it is hereby ORDERED that the motions are DENIED without prejudice. The proposed amicus submissions do not comply with Local Civil Rule 7(o)(5), which requires a table of contents and table of authorities pursuant to Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 29(a)(4). Accordingly, the Court declines to grant leave to file the deficient briefs. SO ORDERED. Signed by Judge Richard J. Leon on 6/11/2026. (lcrjl3)	June 11, 2026	June 11, 2026
	Order on Motion for Leave to File Amicus Brief AND Order on Motion for Leave to File Amicus Brief AND Order on Motion for Leave to File Amicus Brief AND Order on Motion for Leave to File Amicus Brief AND Order on Motion for Leave to File Amicus Brief	June 11, 2026	June 11, 2026