{"id":2409990,"date":"2025-03-05T10:56:02","date_gmt":"2025-03-05T15:56:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watchdog-d-c-police-demand-1-57-million-for-jan-6-footage\/"},"modified":"2025-03-05T10:58:34","modified_gmt":"2025-03-05T15:58:34","slug":"watchdog-d-c-police-demand-1-57-million-for-jan-6-footage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watchdog-d-c-police-demand-1-57-million-for-jan-6-footage\/","title":{"rendered":"Watchdog: D.C. Police Demand $1.57 Million For Jan. 6 Footage"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwatchdog-d-c-police-demand-1-57-million-for-jan-6-footage%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2409990&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department is demanding over \u2062$1.5 million from Judicial Watch, a conservative \u200clegal watchdog, for access \u2063to bodycam footage from the January 6 Capitol protests. Judicial Watch filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit after the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">police initially denied<\/a> their \u200brequest, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-admin-finally-offers-to-brief-congress-on-trump-biden-classified-docs\/\" title=\"Biden Admin Finally Offers to Brief Congress on Trump\/Biden Classified Docs\">citing ongoing investigations<\/a>. Following President Donald Trump&#8217;s pardons for\u200b many individuals charged in connection with\u200b the events of January 6, the D.C. government is \u2063now willing to \u2063release the footage contingent on payment. Judicial Watch claims\u2063 there has been no valid reason for withholding\u200b the videos.\u2063 The\u200b controversy surrounding the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-democrats-exploitation-of-january-6-gives-away-their-game\/\" title=\"The Democrats\u2019 Exploitation Of ... Gives Away Their Game\">capitol riot continues<\/a>, with many unanswered questions about \u2064the circumstances\u200c of\u200b the event and the \u2064actions of\u200b law enforcement.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>The Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department is charging the conservative legal watchdog, Judicial Watch, more than $1.5 million to access bodycam footage of the Jan. 6 Capitol protests.<\/p>\n<p>On Tuesday, the non-profit published a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.judicialwatch.org\/dc-police-want-over-1m\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">press release<\/a> outlining the department&rsquo;s demands following a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed last summer. Judicial Watch filed the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.judicialwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/JW-v-DC-Bodycam-Footage-Complaint-003453.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">suit<\/a> after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/border-patrol-agents-see-no-path-forward-under-biden\/\" title=\"Border Patrol Agents See No Path Forward Under Biden\">local law enforcement refused<\/a> to release the footage in August 2021.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The DC Metro Police initially rejected Judicial Watch&rsquo;s request because, it claimed, the videos were, at the time, &lsquo;part of an ongoing investigation and criminal proceeding,&#8217;&rdquo; Judicial Watch said Tuesday. &ldquo;But since President Trumps [sic] pardons of January 6 defendants, the DC government will make public the videos (supposedly containing over one thousand hours of footage) if Judicial Watch agrees to pay over $1.5 million.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>President Donald Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/01\/21\/trump-grants-sweeping-clemency-for-jan-6-political-prisoners-after-biden-pardons-family\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">pardoned<\/a> nearly every defendant charged with crimes related to the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot immediately upon his second inauguration in January. The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/01\/granting-pardons-and-commutation-of-sentences-for-certain-offenses-relating-to-the-events-at-or-near-the-united-states-capitol-on-january-6-2021\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">executive order<\/a>&nbsp;granted &ldquo;full, complete and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-grants-sweeping-clemency-for-jan-6-political-prisoners\/\" title=\"Trump Grants Sweeping Clemency For Jan. 6 Political Prisoners\">unconditional pardons&#038;rdquo<\/a>; to an estimated 1,500 people and commuted the sentences of another 14.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We hope they come out tonight,&rdquo; Trump said on the evening of his first night back in office. Many of those charged with misconduct just walked into the open Capitol building, and Jacob Chansley, infamously known as the &ldquo;Q-Anon Shaman,&rdquo; was even&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/03\/06\/newly-released-j6-tapes-show-capitol-police-giving-guided-tour-to-so-called-qanon-shaman\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">escorted<\/a>&nbsp;around the building by law enforcement officials.&nbsp;Chansley was&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/11\/17\/politics\/jacob-chansley-qanon-shaman-january-6-sentencing\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sentenced<\/a> to 41 months in prison in the fall of 2021.<\/p>\n<p>Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson covered the saga by <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/03\/13\/everything-you-need-to-know-about-tucker-carlsons-j6-tapes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">airing security footage<\/a> from the Capitol before abruptly leaving the network in 2023: <\/p>\n<figure><\/figure>\n<p>Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in Tuesday&rsquo;s press release, &ldquo;There never has been a legitimate reason to withhold the January 6 police bodycam videos.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;If they wanted the videos out for political reasons, they&rsquo;d be public, but instead the DC government wants more than $1.5 million in order for the public to view its January 6 videos,&rdquo; Fitton said. <\/p>\n<p>Many questions remain unanswered about the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, after Democrats exploited their House majority to depict a partisan narrative with a Soviet-style inquisition, which both prosecuted political opponents and covered up former Speaker Nancy Pelosi&rsquo;s negligence.<\/p>\n<p><strong>[RELATED:[RELATED:<a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/01\/06\/here-are-the-top-10-lies-of-liz-cheney-and-the-january-6th-committee\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Here Are The Top 10 Lies Of Liz Cheney And The January 6th Committee<\/a>]<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Federalist Senior Editor John Davidson outlined what mysteries still remain about Jan. 6 in a speech earlier this year <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/02\/07\/we-still-need-answers-to-the-many-unanswered-questions-about-jan-6\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">adapted<\/a> for The Federalist. A primary question still open is the origins of the apparent <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/02\/29\/the-more-info-that-surfaces-about-the-j6-pipe-bombs-the-more-it-doesnt-add-up\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">pipe bombs<\/a> discovered at the Republican and Democrat Party headquarters that were found to be &ldquo;inoperable.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Why does the FBI still have no idea who planted the pipe bombs near the headquarters of the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee on the evening of January 5?&rdquo; Davidson asked. Other questions include why the Capitol Police opened the doors to allow demonstrators in and why Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund was kept in the dark about the presence of federal informants in the crowd.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Defenders of the official narrative accuse those who ask such questions of being conspiracists,&rdquo; Davidson added. &ldquo;But until those questions are answered, our understanding of January 6 &mdash; no matter our political leanings &mdash; will be incomplete.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Tristan Justice is a national correspondent for The Federalist and the co-author of &#8220;Fat and Unhappy: How &#8216;Body Positivity&#8217; Is Killing Us (and How to Save Yourself).&#8221; He has also written for The Washington Examiner and The Daily Signal. His work has also been featured in Real Clear Politics and Fox News. Tristan graduated from George Washington University where he majored in political science and minored in journalism. Follow him on Twitter at @JusticeTristan or contact him at Tristan@thefederalist.com. Sign up for Tristan&#8217;s email newsletter <a href=\"https:\/\/socialjusticeredux.substack.com\/about\">here<\/a>. Buy &#8220;Fat and Unhappy&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/sz7EDAJI1c\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>D.C. police demand over $1.5M for Jan. 6 bodycam footage<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":494,"featured_media":2409991,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/J6-Tape.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[51569,5254,32087,37708,6056],"class_list":["post-2409990","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-d-c-police","tag-footage","tag-jan-6","tag-public-records","tag-watchdog"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/J6-Tape.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2409990","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/494"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2409990"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2409990\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2409995,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2409990\/revisions\/2409995"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2409991"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2409990"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2409990"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2409990"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}