Justice Department deletes press releases on charges against Jan. 6 rioters

Key Points:

• The Justice Department has removed press releases detailing charges against hundreds involved in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot from its website, a move confirmed on Friday and linked to efforts by the Trump administration to reframe the events and portray rioters as victims.
• Following President Donald Trump's mass pardons of Jan. 6 rioters and the firing of DOJ officials and FBI agents involved in the investigations, the Justice Department announced a $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund intended to compensate those allegedly persecuted for political reasons.
• The announcement of the fund sparked bipartisan outrage in Congress, with senators from both parties condemning the idea of compensating rioters and criticizing the fund as politically motivated.
• Multiple lawsuits have been filed against the fund, including by a fired Jan. 6 prosecutor, a law professor acquitted in a related case, and the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, all arguing the fund is politically discriminatory and lacks congressional approval.
• Additionally, two Capitol officers who defended the building on Jan. 6 filed a suit claiming the fund would effectively finance violent rioters and paramilitary groups, highlighting ongoing legal and political battles surrounding the fund and the legacy of the Capitol attack.