Justice Department scrubs website of news releases about Jan. 6 defendants
AP News • • world
Key Points:
- The Department of Justice has removed news releases about criminal cases related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot from its website, labeling the information as “partisan propaganda.”
- This action is part of the Trump administration’s efforts to rewrite the history of the Capitol assault, which involved supporters attempting to stop the certification of the 2020 presidential election results.
- On his first day back in office in January 2025, Trump pardoned or commuted sentences for over 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the riot, including those convicted of violent acts.
- The Justice Department announced a $1.776 billion fund to compensate Trump allies who claim they were unjustly prosecuted, with the possibility that convicted rioters could receive payouts, sparking bipartisan criticism.
- The DOJ defended the removal of the news releases as a reversal of what it called the Biden administration’s politicization of the department, aiming to support those they say were politically persecuted.