The Department of Justice has removed news releases from its website about criminal cases tied to the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, officials confirmed this week [1, 2, 3]. The deleted releases included those related to seditious conspiracy charges against members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers extremist groups [1, 2, 3].

President Donald Trump pardoned, commuted, or promised to dismiss cases against all 1,500-plus individuals charged in connection with the attack on his first day back in office in January 2025 [1, 2, 3].

Last Monday, the Justice Department announced a $1.776 billion fund to compensate Trump allies who say they were unjustly prosecuted in January 6 cases [1, 2, 3]. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has not ruled out that rioters convicted of violence could be eligible for payments [1, 2, 3].

The department described the prosecution information as "partisan propaganda" and said the removals were meant to undo the Biden administration's "weaponization" of the Justice Department. A Justice Department rapid response account said, "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 DOJ's website of partisan propaganda" [1, 2, 3].

After media noted the removals, the department responded that there was "nothing quiet about it" and reaffirmed plans to remove partisan content from its website [1, 2, 3].

Around mid-May 2026, the Justice Department filed an unopposed motion with a federal appeals court asking to vacate seditious conspiracy convictions against Proud Boys and Oath Keepers members [1, 2]. The court granted the request on Thursday, May 21 [1, 2]. The following day, the department moved to dismiss the cases against those groups [1, 2].

The removals of the news releases occurred quietly over the last several days between May 18 and May 22 [1, 2, 3].

The Justice Department is expected to continue implementing these changes as legal maneuvers related to January 6 defendants progress.