Jan. 6ers already got pardoned. Will they get their money back too?

In January 2025, President Trump issued full pardons to about 1,500 January 6th defendants convicted of crimes like seditious conspiracy and assaulting officers after the 2021 Capitol riot, which caused $3 million in damage. Many had paid fines totaling over $400,000—often $500 to $2,000 each—to U.S. Treasury accounts, including one for Capitol repairs. Now pardoned, they are suing to recover that money, raising questions about what pardons can undo financially.

Limits of the Pardon Power

A pardon releases people from prison and wipes out conviction consequences but does not erase the conviction or act as if the crime never happened, according to Frank Bowman, a University of Missouri law professor emeritus who studies pardons. Fines paid to the government remain a sticking point. For January 6th cases, defendants argue the pardon voids their obligation to pay, and some courts are agreeing due to two legal developments.