The U.S. Department of Justice has filed motions seeking to overturn the convictions of several members of the far-right groups Proud Boys and Oath Keepers who were found guilty of seditious conspiracy related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. The filings, signed by Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia appointed by former President Donald Trump, were submitted on Tuesday and request that the convictions of notable figures including Proud Boys leaders Ethan Nordean and Joseph Biggs, as well as Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers militia, be vacated.

These developments mark the latest effort under the Trump administration to challenge the prosecution of individuals involved in the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol, an event prosecuted by the Biden administration as an attempted insurrection launched to disrupt the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory. The January 6 assault resulted in multiple deaths, numerous injuries to law enforcement officers, and widespread condemnation across the political spectrum.

Several members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers were sentenced to prison for their roles in trying to obstruct the peaceful transfer of power. Among them was Enrique Tarrio, former chairman of the Proud Boys, who was sentenced to 22 years. Tarrio was released early in January 2025 after receiving a pardon from Trump during his first day in office for his second term, part of a broader clemency action that extended to roughly 1,600 individuals tied to the Capitol violence.

The new motions seek not only to overturn these convictions but also to erase them from the defendants’ records. The move represents a significant departure from the stance adopted by the Biden administration, which had characterized the convictions as an essential step in holding rioters accountable for attacking the foundation of American democracy.

The Trump administration has repeatedly framed the January 6 rioters as patriots defending election integrity, dismissing reports of violence and rejecting allegations of widespread election fraud as unfounded. Official statements released by the White House have accused Democrats of orchestrating "the real insurrection" by certifying what they describe as a fraudulent election and weaponizing federal agencies against political dissenters.

The Capitol attack caused serious harm to law enforcement. A bipartisan Senate report from 2021 documented injuries to over 100 officers, including incidents of stabbing and use of stun guns, and noted that four responding officers took their own lives in the aftermath of the events. Despite these facts, the current filings indicate a shift in the federal government’s approach toward those charged in connection with the riot, underscoring ongoing political divisions over the interpretation and consequences of January 6.