(Ken Silva, Headline USA) When left-wing activist John Sullivan was convicted in November 2023 of entering the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the U.S. government seized the $62,813.76 that he earned selling footage of the event.
After the Sullivan received a pardon in January and the Justice Department dropped its case against him for good, he moved to have that money returned to him. The DOJ agreed to return the money to him.
However, U.S. Judge Royce Lamberth is blocking the DOJ from returning the seized funds to Sullivan. In an order issued last week, Judge Lambert suggested that returning the money to Sullivan would be illegal if the money is already sitting in the Treasury Department.
There's still an interesting dispute in Sullivan's Jan. 6 case.
When Sullivan was convicted, the U.S. government seized the $62,813.76 that he earned selling footage of the event. After the Sullivan received a pardon, he moved to have that money returned to him.
The DOJ agreed… https://t.co/PLnwT2DlgQ pic.twitter.com/CJlw1SLoVK
— Ken Silva (@JD_Cashless) April 18, 2025
“It seems obvious that this Court’s power to grant Mr. Sullivan the relief he seeks, and the government’s lawful authority to remit Mr. Sullivan’s funds—as it has expressed its intention to do—depend on whether Mr. Sullivan’s funds have passed at any time into the custody of the United States Treasury,” Judge Lamberth said in an order on Saturday.
“Neither party’s brief engages with any of the case law identified above, nor have the parties provided the Court with any information concerning the whereabouts of Mr. Sullivan’s seized funds.”
Judge Lamberth ordered the DOJ to tell him where Sullivan’s funds are, and not to give him any money until he rules on the matter.
On Tuesday, the DOJ told Judge Lambert that Sullivan’s funds indeed made it to the Treasury. But DOJ lawyers said he should get his money anyway.
For starters, the DOJ noted that Sullivan’s conviction was never finalized because he still had an appeal pending when he was pardoned. Moreover, while the funds are technically deposited in the Treasury, it’s the U.S. Marshalls that control the money, according to the DOJ.
“Since their deposit on December 27, 2023, the funds have been and continue to be held in the Seized Asset Deposit Fund (“SADF”). Based on consultations with the representatives from [U.S. Marshals Service], the SADF is a deposit fund in the U.S. Treasury,” the DOJ said.
“Practically speaking, on information and belief, the USMS continue to exercise control over the funds.”
The DOJ offered to brief Judge Lambert on the matter further if he desires it. The judge hasn’t indicated when he’ll issue a ruling.
While the DOJ is siding with Sullivan, most Jan. 6 protestors have accused him of being a nefarious left-wing provocateur. To their point, Sullivan allegedly brought to the Capitol a retractable knife with an almost four inch blade. He also encouraged violence by telling other protestors, “We’re taking this shit to the ground,” “burn this shit down,” and “let’s fuck this shit up.”
Sullivan did pay for his crimes. Along with the money sent to him, he spent more than a year in solitary confinement, according to filings from his lawyers, who said they saw “a dramatic decrease in his mental stability and his overall physical presence” during that time.
Ken Silva is the editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.
