DOJ Seeks to Vacate Jan. 6 Seditious Conspiracy Convictions

The Justice Department filed motions on Tuesday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, seeking to vacate seditious conspiracy convictions against 12 leaders and members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers groups convicted for their roles in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The filing, signed by U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro, targets convictions stemming from the groups' efforts to disrupt the certification of the 2020 presidential election results, which confirmed Joe Biden's victory over Donald Trump. Prosecutors convicted the defendants in trials in Washington, D.C., after evidence showed they planned and coordinated actions to oppose the transfer of power, including organizing groups that breached Capitol barriers, assaulted officers and entered the building. The attack injured more than 100 law enforcement officers and led to charges against over 1,500 individuals, marking one of the largest federal investigations in U.S. history.

Among those named in the motions are Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, who was sentenced to 18 years in prison, as well as Oath Keepers members Kelly Meggs, Kenneth...