DC Police Department Wants over $1.5 Million for January 6 Police Bodycam Footage.
Judicial Watch filed June 2024 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia after the Metropolitan Police Department denied an August 2021 FOIA request (Judicial Watch v. District of Columbia (No. 2024-CAB-003453)). Judicial Watch is asking for:
All audio/video recordings captured on body-worn cameras from MPD officers during their response to protest activities in and around the Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2021; and
All body worn camera video captured by Washington, DC, Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone when responding to protests at the Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2021.
The DC Metro Police initially rejected Judicial Watch’s request because, it claimed, the videos were, at the time, “part of an ongoing investigation and criminal proceeding.”
But since President Trumps 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.
“There never has been a legitimate reason to withhold the January 6 police bodycam videos,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “If they wanted the videos out for political reasons, they’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.”
More here: https://www.judicialwatch.org/dc-police-want-over-1m/