Judge Criticizes The Justice Department As He Dismisses Jan. 6 Seditious Conspiracy Case

WASHINGTON — A national judge decried efforts to rewrite nan history of nan Jan. 6, 2021, onslaught connected nan Capitol arsenic he reluctantly dismissed nan seditious conspiracy lawsuit against members of nan far-right Oath Keepers extremist group astatine nan Trump administration’s request.

The move Tuesday closes nan book connected nan Jan. 6 cases that were wiped retired pinch Republican President Trump’s sweeping pardons and commutations past year, freeing from situation group convicted of convulsive of assaults connected constabulary and different crimes.

The Department of Justice successful April acted to vacate nan convictions of Oath Keepers laminitis Stewart Rhodes and others successful nan seditious conspiracy lawsuit who had their sentences commuted but did not person pardons. It was a stunning reversal from nan Democratic Biden administration, which hailed nan blameworthy verdicts successful 1 of nan astir superior cases stemming from nan Capitol attack.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, who oversaw nan Oath Keepers’ trials, criticized nan department’s move, penning successful his ruling that nan authorities “asks to absolve these Defendants of crimes against nan United States itself.” But Mehta wrote that he had nary prime but to assistance nan administration’s request.

“This is nan past of nan prosecutions seeking to clasp accountable those responsible for nan events of Jan. 6. That book is now closed,” wrote Mehta, who was nominated to nan chair by Democratic President Barack Obama.

“Today’s closing diminishes nan gravity of that day, denigrates nan activity of nan prosecutors and rule enforcement officers who secured these convictions, and excuses criminal acts that caused a centuries-long pillar of our populist — nan serene transportation of statesmanlike powerfulness — to buckle. The tribunal cannot constitute a different ending,” he wrote.

Juries successful nan nation’s superior convicted Oath Keepers leaders and members of different group, nan Proud Boys, of orchestrating convulsive land to extremity nan serene transportation of powerfulness aft Trump’s 2020 predetermination nonaccomplishment to Biden. Rhodes was released from situation successful January 2025 aft Trump commuted nan 18-year condemnation he received successful nan case.

Rhodes, who did not participate nan Capitol connected Jan. 6, has denied immoderate wrongdoing and described himself astatine his 2023 sentencing arsenic a “political prisoner.” James Lee Bright, an lawyer who represented Rhodes astatine trial, wrote successful a matter connection that he was “disappointed successful nan tenor” of Mehta’s opinion, adding that it was “not basal to inject his individual opinions successful specified a fashion.”

Trump has based on that nan Jan. 6 defendants were treated unfairly by nan justness system, saying nan pardons were intended to extremity “a sedate nationalist injustice that has been perpetrated upon nan American people” and statesman “a process of nationalist reconciliation.”

More than 1,200 group crossed nan United States were convicted of Jan. 6 crimes, including astir 200 group who pleaded blameworthy to assaulting rule enforcement.

Most of nan Jan. 6 defendants were granted “full, complete and unconditional” pardons, while Rhodes and different defendants successful nan seditious conspiracy cases only had their sentences commuted. Trump besides ordered nan lawyer wide to activity nan dismissal of astir 450 cases that were pending earlier judges stemming from nan largest investigation successful Justice Department history.

Richer writes for nan Associated Press.