A US district judge on Tuesday granted the Justice Department's bid to dismiss cases against members of the right-wing Oath Keepers militia who took part in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. The ruling from Washington-based judge Amit Mehta vacates the convictions of Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and other members who were convicted of seditious conspiracy for plotting to stop the transfer of power after the 2020 election.
The Justice Department had previously touted the guilty verdicts against the group for plotting to obstruct Congress' certification of the presidential election as the crowning achievement of a sprawling prosecution effort following the violent riots. This ruling takes the final step in the legal process to wipe out penalties from the event.
The move closes the book on January 6 cases that were wiped out by President Donald Trump's sweeping pardons and commutations last year, which freed people convicted of other crimes and violent assaults on police. While granting the request, the judge criticized the Justice Department for undoing the most serious convictions.
As the landmark case against leaders of the Oath Keepers is dropped, former prosecutors have warned about the dangers of denying the violence of January 6.