The Department of Justice (DOJ) under President Donald Trump has acknowledged removing news releases about criminal cases related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack from its website, labeling the information about the prosecutions as "partisan propaganda."
Purge of January 6 Records
The removal of news releases documenting criminal charges, convictions, and sentencings marks the latest step by the Trump administration to rewrite the history of the assault on the US Capitol. On January 6, 2021, hundreds of Trump supporters stormed the building to halt Congress's certification of his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.
On his first day back in office in January 2025, Trump pardoned, commuted prison sentences, or vowed to dismiss cases for all 1,500-plus individuals charged in connection with the Capitol assault, including those convicted of attacking officers with makeshift weapons like flagpoles, hockey sticks, and crutches.
Creation of Compensation Fund
On Monday, the DOJ announced a $1.776 billion fund to compensate Trump allies who claim they were unjustly investigated and prosecuted. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has not ruled out that rioters convicted of violence could receive payouts, sparking bipartisan anger in Congress.
After a journalist noted on X that the DOJ was "quietly" removing January 6-related news releases—including one about a Texas man who pleaded guilty to assault and faced separate state charges of soliciting a minor—the department responded via its "rapid response" account: "There is 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. This includes stripping the DOJ's website of partisan propaganda."
Removal of Seditious Conspiracy Cases
Among the removed releases were those concerning seditious conspiracy cases against members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, far-right extremist groups. Last month, the DOJ filed an unopposed motion to vacate those convictions, which a federal appeals court granted on Thursday. On Friday, the department moved to dismiss the cases against group members.
