The Trump administration has reached a settlement in a lawsuit filed by the family of Ashli Babbitt, a Trump supporter who was fatally shot while attempting to breach the House Speaker’s lobby during the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, as reported by various media outlets. Babbitt’s family initiated the lawsuit in early 2024, seeking $30 million in damages. Details regarding the financial terms of the settlement were not disclosed during a court hearing in Washington D.C. as reported by CBS News and The Washington Post. U.S. Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd fired the fatal shot at Babbitt, a 35-year-old, during the chaos when Congress members were still present in the area following the violent incursion by Trump supporters attempting to disrupt the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. Babbitt’s mother, Micki Witthoeft, has been a vocal supporter of the individuals involved in the January 6 events who faced legal repercussions in the aftermath. Witthoeft herself faced charges in early 2023, including traffic violations related to a demonstration marking the two-year anniversary of the attack. The settlement follows former President Trump’s pardoning of approximately 1,500 defendants who were charged in connection with the Capitol attack. Micki Witthoeft, Ashli Babbitt’s mother, was photographed at a gathering in Washington D.C. showing solidarity with individuals facing legal consequences linked to the January 6 incident on January 6, 2024. The lawsuit brought by Babbitt’s estate alleged that her death was a result of governmental negligence. While the Biden administration sought to dismiss certain claims in the lawsuit, the court hearing on this matter was postponed at the request of both the Justice Department lawyers and Babbitt’s estate shortly after Trump’s inauguration on January 20. This information was originally published on USA TODAY: Trump’s DOJ settles case with family of Jan. 6 rioter Ashli Babbitt
