DOJ Moves to Vacate Seditious Conspiracy Convictions for January 6 Leaders

The United States Department of Justice filed motions with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to vacate seditious conspiracy convictions for 12 leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers. The filings, signed by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, seek to dismiss the indictments with prejudice, effectively erasing felony convictions and restoring rights such as firearm ownership. This action targets high-profile figures including Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and Proud Boys leaders Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, and Dominic Pezzola.

The move follows a broader clemency campaign by President Donald Trump, who pardoned or commuted sentences for over 1,500 January 6 defendants in early 2025. The DOJ characterized the current filings as being in the interests of justice and a response to Trump's demand to end a two-tiered injustice and Biden-era weaponized prosecutions. The administration also launched a White House website attributing the escalation of the January 6 attack to law enforcement officers.

Critics condemned the effort as an attempt to rewrite history and vaporize unanimous jury verdicts. Representative Jamie Raskin described the motions as a humiliation for American democracy, while injured former police officers and Capitol officials called the move a betrayal. Conversely, administration officials and defense attorneys praised the decision as a correction of political prosecutions.