DOJ Deletes Jan. 6 Releases and Seeks to Drop Seditious Conspiracy Cases for 1,500-plus Defendants
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 23
DOJ Deletes Jan. 6 Releases and Seeks to Drop Seditious Conspiracy Cases for 1,500-plus Defendants
4 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 23
The Justice Department said it removed Jan. 6 case news releases from its website and on Friday moved to dismiss cases against Proud Boys and Oath Keepers members after an appeals court vacated their seditious conspiracy convictions Thursday.
DOJ defended the purge as stripping out “partisan propaganda,” saying it was reversing what it calls Biden-era weaponization of the department.
Trump had already pardoned, commuted sentences for or pledged to dismiss cases against more than 1,500 people charged in the 2021 Capitol attack, including rioters convicted of assaulting police.
$1.776 billion was also set aside this week for people the administration says were unjustly investigated or prosecuted, with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche not ruling out payments to violent Jan. 6 offenders.
The moves deepen bipartisan anger in Congress and mark the latest Trump administration step to recast the history of the Capitol assault and its prosecutions.
What legal precedent allows a settlement to fund payments for individuals not involved in the original lawsuit?
The $1.8 Billion Anti-Weaponization Fund: Trump’s DOJ, Jan. 6 Record Purge, and the Erosion of Justice Department Credibility
Overview
In May 2026, the Justice Department under President Donald Trump took two major actions: it created a nearly $1.8 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund and removed official records about the Jan. 6 Capitol riot from its website. The administration claimed these steps were needed to reverse the department’s 'weaponization' and eliminate 'partisan propaganda.' The fund, which came from settling Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS, quickly drew strong criticism for potentially benefiting Trump’s allies and undermining accountability. These moves, rooted in Trump’s narrative of political persecution, have sparked intense public and political backlash, raising serious concerns about transparency and the rule of law.