Get you up to speed: DOJ says it scrubbed news releases about Jan. 6 criminal cases from its website
The Department of Justice has removed news releases about criminal cases related to the January 6 Capitol riot, labelling the information “partisan propaganda.” The Justice Department’s action includes the seditious conspiracy cases against members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, which has prompted bipartisan anger in Congress.
The Department of Justice has removed numerous news releases related to prosecutions from its website, citing concerns about presenting “partisan propaganda.” Following a recent federal appeals court decision, the department has filed to dismiss cases against members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, which included seditious conspiracy charges.
The Department of Justice has announced the creation of a $1.776 billion fund aimed at compensating individuals associated with the Trump administration who perceive themselves as having been unfairly investigated or prosecuted. This initiative has sparked bipartisan outrage in Congress, particularly concerning the potential inclusion of rioters convicted of violence.
What remains unclear — It is uncertain whether the Justice Department will provide compensation to rioters convicted of violence despite bipartisan opposition.
DOJ removes news releases about Jan. 6 criminal cases from its website
Washington — The Department of Justice is acknowledging it has removed from its website news releases about criminal cases related to the Jan. 6, 2021 riot, calling the information about the prosecutions “partisan propaganda.”
The purge of news releases documenting criminal charges, convictions and sentencings is the latest step by the Trump administration to revise the history of the assault on the Capitol, when hundreds of supporters of Republican President Trump stormed the building in an effort to halt the congressional certification of his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.
Mr. Trump, on his first day back in office in January 2025, pardoned, commuted the prison sentences or vowed to dismiss the cases of all of the 1,500-plus people charged with crimes during the Capitol assault, including those convicted of attacking officers with makeshift weapons such as flagpoles, a hockey stick and crutch.
On Monday, the Justice Department announced the creation of a $1.776 billion fund meant to compensate Trump allies who feel they were unjustly investigated and prosecuted. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has not ruled out that rioters convicted of violence will be eligible for payouts, prompting bipartisan anger in Congress.
After a journalist on Friday observed on the social media platform X that the Justice Department was “quietly” removing news releases on its website that were related to the Jan. 6 attack, including about a Texas man who pleaded guilty to assault and also faced separate state charges of soliciting a minor, the department responded through its “rapid response” account that there was “nothing ‘quiet’ about it.”
“We are proud to reverse the DOJ’s weaponization under the Biden administration. We will do everything in our power to make whole those who were persecuted for political purposes,” the post said. “This includes stripping DOJ’s website of partisan propaganda.”
Among the releases removed from the site were those concerning seditious conspiracy cases against members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, far-right extremist groups. The Justice Department, in an unopposed motion last month, asked a federal appeals court to vacate those seditious conspiracy convictions, a request that was granted Thursday. The department on Friday moved to dismiss the cases against the group members.