Trump administration moves to toss remaining Jan. 6 convictions, clearing Proud Boys and Oath Keepers

Capitol riotTrump administration moves to toss remaining Jan. 6 convictions, clearing Proud Boys and Oath KeepersThe filing asks an appeals court to vacate the convictions of four members of the Proud Boys who acted violently during the Jan. 6 riot.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00President Donald Trump's supporters gather outside the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021. Tayfun Coskun / Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleApril 14, 2026, 8:11 PM EDTBy Ryan J. Reilly and Kyla GuilfoilThe Trump administration moved Tuesday to clear some of the last remaining convictions related to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, as some still stood following President Donald Trump's mass pardons last year.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The Tuesday filing to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit was submitted by the office of U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro, asking the court to “vacate” the convictions of four members of the Proud Boys: Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, and Dominic Pezzola.The four were all convicted in 2023 of multiple felony charges, and all but Pezzola were convicted of seditious conspiracy.While Trump gave a full pardon to the overwhelming majority of Jan. 6 defendants, his proclamation granted 14 individuals a commutation, meaning their sentences were reduced to time served but their sentences were not dismissed outright. The request would erase those convictions.Officials wrote that vacating the four defendants' convictions is "in the interests of justice.""In the Executive Branch’s view, it is not in the interests of justice to continue to prosecute this case or the cases of other, similarly situated defendants," officials wrote.Rehl, who was seen on video from Jan. 6 spraying officers with pepper spray, wrote in a post on X that he is "beyond thrilled" about the administ...