Washington, D.C. — The Justice Department on Tuesday asked a federal appeals court to vacate seditious conspiracy convictions against leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers tied to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
In court filings, prosecutors urged the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to erase the convictions and allow the government to dismiss the indictments entirely. The move would affect several high-profile defendants, including Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, who had been sentenced to prison for orchestrating efforts to block the peaceful transfer of power following the 2020 election.
The request follows President Donald Trump’s sweeping clemency action last year, which commuted sentences for more than 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the Capitol attack. However, the Justice Department’s latest action goes further by seeking to formally overturn the convictions.
Prosecutors said the motion aligns with past legal practices in which the government asks courts to vacate convictions when dismissal is deemed in the interest of justice. Juries had previously found the group leaders guilty of coordinating actions aimed at preventing Congress from certifying the election results.
The case remains under review by the appeals court.
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