The US Department of Justice has confirmed it removed news releases from its website documenting criminal cases related to the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot, branding the material 'partisan propaganda'. The deleted pages included details of charges, convictions and sentencing outcomes for defendants involved in the breach.
The changes came to light after Washington Post reporter Meryl Kornfield posted before-and-after screenshots on X, alleging the department was 'quietly deleting info'. The official DOJ Rapid Response account responded: 'Nothing quiet about it. We are proud to reverse the DOJ's weaponization under the Biden administration. We will do everything in our power to make whole those who were persecuted for political purposes.'
Among the removed materials were high-profile case summaries involving far-right groups such as the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, some of whose convictions have since been vacated or dropped. The move is the latest step in the Trump administration's effort to reshape the narrative around January 6.
On his first day back in office in January 2025, President Trump issued sweeping clemency measures, pardoning, commuting sentences or directing the dismissal of cases involving more than 1,500 defendants. The actions covered serious assaults on police officers during the riot.
The administration is also advancing a nearly $1.8 billion 'anti-weaponization' fund to compensate people it says were unfairly targeted. Hundreds of riot defendants are now seeking multi-million-dollar payouts, with critics describing the programme as a 'slush fund'. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has not ruled out payments to individuals who attacked police officers.
