Trump's Justice Department to toss seditious conspiracy convictions of Oath Keepers and Proud Boys

By MELISSA KOENIG, US REPORTER and ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: 05:02, 15 April 2026 | Updated: 05:15, 15 April 2026 Trump's Justice Department is working to get a dozen Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders' seditious conspiracy convictions related to the January 6 Capitol riots tossed out. The president has long lambasted the January 6 prosecutions as an injustice against his supporters, and even referred to those who were jailed as 'hostages.' On his first day in office, Trump issued pardons to more than 1,000 people convicted in the riot - every defendant except for 14. One of those 14 was later pardoned in March 2025, and the Justice Department now says 12 others - eight members and associates of the Oath Keepers and four members of the Proud Boys - should have their convictions dismissed as well. In the court filings, federal prosecutors asked the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to vacate the convictions so that the government can permanently dismiss the indictments.  'The United States has determined in its prosecutorial discretion that dismissal of this criminal case is in the interests of justice,'  prosecutors wrote in a court filing signed by US Attorney Jeanine Pirro. 'In the Executive Branch's view, it is not in in the interests of justice to continue to prosecute this case or the cases of the other, similarly situated defendants,' they continued as they asked for a federal appeals panel to vacate the lower court judgments with prejudice - meaning the cases could not be brought again.  The prosecutors went on to cite Trump's commutation as a basis for the decision, and noted the office made a similar move in the criminal conviction of Trump-ally Steve Bannon for defying a subpoena from the January 6 Select Committee. The filing comes ahead of key deadlines in the appeals of Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, as well as Proud Boys leaders Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs and Zachary Rehl, Politico reports.  Prosecutors said in the filing that the defendants' attorneys did not oppose the motion.  President Donald Trump's Justice Department is seeking to get a dozen Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders' seditious conspiracy convictions related to the January 6 Capitol riots tossed out Federal prosecutors led by US Attorney Jeanine Pirro (pictured) asked the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to vacate the convictions so that the government can permanently dismiss the indictments  The Proud Boys and Oath Keepers' convictions had previously been hailed as wins by the Biden administration as it conducted one of the largest federal investigations in US history, with prosecutors charging more than 1,500 people and securing roughly 1,270 convictions. Prosecutors had previously claimed Rhodes and other members of his group 'began plotting to oppose by force the lawful transfer of presidential power' after Trump lost the 2020 presidential election. They said Rhodes and his allies spent weeks planning the raid on encrypted messaging apps, and on the day of the riot, Rhodes 'coordinated activities' as a group of Oath Keepers marched on the Capitol, where lawmakers were certifying the results of the presidential election. That included stockpiling guns for possible use by 'quick reaction force' teams at a Virginia hotel, though they never deployed the weapons. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison. Biden's Justice Department had also said that Nordean and Proud Boys member Dominic Pezzola 'participated in every consequential breach at the Capitol,' leading a group of Proud Boys members onto Capitol grounds, where they dismantled barricades, breached the Capitol building, assaulted police and destroyed property. Pezzola then became one of the most recognizable faces of the attempted insurrection after he was caught on video smashing a window at the US Capitol with a riot shield.  Rehl, meanwhile, used pepper spray against officers outside the Capitol and called for 'firing squads' for 'traitors' who wanted to 'steal' the election. Among those for whom the DOJ is trying to get the convictions tossed is Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes (pictured in January) The filing comes ahead of key deadlines in the appeals of Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, as well as Proud Boys leaders Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs (pictured second to right) and Zachary Rehl (pictured right) For their roles in the riot, Nordean was sentenced to 18 years behind bars, Biggs was sentenced to 17, Rehl to 15 and Pezzola to 10. But they were freed last year when Trump commuted their prison terms.   After news of the filing on Tuesday was made public, the freed defendants celebrated the move as they anticipated that their convictions will be dropped. 'After all this fighting, it appears this chapter is finally over,' Rehl posted on X. 'Persistently fighting for truth and justice pays off! 'I am beyond thrilled right now, I can't even begin to describe my feelings right now.' Florida Oath Keepers Leader Kelly Meggs, whose conviction prosecutors are also seeking to overturn, also shared his relief. 'Since we were all innocent, this nightmare may finally be coming to an end,' he wrote.  Nordean's attorney, Nicholas Smith, meanwhile, said they are grateful to the Justice Department for its 'wise decision' in seeking dismissal of the convictions. 'We don't want a precedent that says that any physical confrontation between protesters and law enforcement means a crime akin to treason, such as seditious conspiracy,' Smith said. The Department of Justice's filing on Tuesday comes as members of the Proud Boys and dozens of others who were convicted or accused in crimes connected with the raid are suing the federal government The Trump administration is targeting federal prosecutors involved with the January 6 cases and has moved to identify FBI agents involved in the investigations as it scrubbed evidence from the riot and public statements about the attack from government website It has already settled with the family of Ashli Babbitt, who was fatally shot by a Capitol police officer after she attempted to break into the House of Representatives The Department of Justice's filing on Tuesday comes as members of the Proud Boys and dozens of others who were convicted or accused in crimes connected with the raid are suing the federal government. They claim law enforcement officers used excessive force while fighting back against the rioters who stormed the Capitol - an argument the Trump administration seems to support as a newly-launched White House website blames law enforcement for 'deliberately escalating tensions.' The Trump administration has also already settled with the family of Ashli Babbitt, who was fatally shot by a Capitol police officer after she attempted to break into the House of Representatives. At the same time, the administration is targeting federal prosecutors involved with the January 6 cases and has moved to identify FBI agents involved in the investigations as it scrubbed evidence from the riot and public statements about the attack from government websites. The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. 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