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Judge tosses remnants of Proud Boys seditious conspiracy case after Trump's broad clemency
PBS • • nation
Key Points:
- A federal judge dismissed the remaining seditious conspiracy convictions against Proud Boys members involved in the January 6 Capitol attack after former President Trump pardoned all related cases last year.
- U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, appointed by Trump, acknowledged the pardon effectively ended the government's prosecution of these cases but emphasized the severity of the Capitol riot as an attack on democratic processes.
- Kelly clarified that his ruling does not endorse the Justice Department's decision to drop the case, highlighting the importance of protecting the peaceful transfer of power in the U.S.
- The dismissal affected four Proud Boys members who had their sentences commuted by Trump, while former leader Enrique Tarrio, who was pardoned, had received the longest sentence among Capitol riot defendants.
- The Justice Department's request to vacate similar seditious conspiracy convictions against Oath Keepers members remains pending before a different judge.
