Justice Department Moves to Dismiss Seditious Conspiracy Convictions of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers Members
Why It Matters
The move by the Trump Justice Department to dismiss the seditious conspiracy convictions of key Proud Boys and Oath Keepers members marks one of the most significant reversals in federal prosecutorial history. If approved by a federal judge, the dismissals would erase the most serious criminal charges stemming from the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot — a sprawling case that became the largest federal criminal investigation in American history.
President Donald Trump has long maintained that the January 6 prosecutions were politically motivated and represented an injustice against his supporters, a position now being operationalized through his Justice Department.
What Happened
The Justice Department filed motions Tuesday to dismiss the seditious conspiracy convictions of 12 remaining defendants — eight members and associates of the Oath Keepers and four from the Proud Boys — whose cases had not yet been resolved through pardons or other legal action.
On his first day back in office, President Trump issued pardons to more than 1,000 people convicted in connection with the Capitol riot. Only 14 defendants were excluded from that blanket pardon, receiving sentence commutations instead. One of those individuals was later pardoned in March 2025, and a second had his conviction dismissed earlier this year. The Justice Department is now seeking to resolve the remaining 12 cases through dismissal.
The defendants named in the dismissal motions include Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes along with associates Kelly Meggs, Kenneth Harrelson, Jessica Watkins, Roberto Minuta, Edward Vallejo, Joseph Hackett, and David Moerschel. From the Proud Boys, the named defendants are Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, and Dominic Pezzola.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia declined to comment on the filings.
By the Numbers
- 1,580+ individuals charged in connection with the January 6 Capitol riot
- ~1,270 convictions secured across the investigation
- 1,000+ defendants pardoned by President Trump on his first day in office, January 20, 2025
- 14 defendants initially excluded from pardons and given commuted sentences instead
- 12 defendants whose convictions the Justice Department is now seeking to dismiss
Zoom Out
The dismissal motions represent the final unraveling of what the Biden-era Justice Department had considered its signature legal achievement following January 6 — three separate seditious conspiracy trials that prosecutors used to argue the Capitol breach was a coordinated attack on democratic governance rather than a spontaneous protest. Those prosecutions became a flashpoint in the broader national debate over how the government should respond to political violence.
Critics of the move, including former Biden DOJ communications official Xochitl Hinojosa — now a CNN commentator — called it “a slap in the face to the American people and American democracy.” Attorney Nick Smith, who represents defendant Ethan Nordean, said he is “grateful” to the DOJ for acting and argued that “sedition charges are not used for protests that turn into riots.”
The development also comes amid a broader reshaping of federal law enforcement priorities under the Trump administration, which has moved to refocus the DOJ away from several Biden-era prosecutorial priorities. The case continues to draw sharp divisions along political lines, with supporters of the dismissals arguing the original charges were overreach and opponents contending the convictions reflected legitimate accountability for violence against law enforcement.
For related national news, see how President Trump has also moved aggressively on foreign policy fronts, including vowing a military blockade on Iranian ports as part of a broader assertive posture on the world stage.
What’s Next
The dismissal motions must still be approved by a federal judge before the convictions are formally erased. It remains to be seen whether any judge will raise objections or request additional justification before granting the dismissals. Legal observers are watching closely, as the outcome could further shape the legal legacy of the January 6 prosecutions and set precedents for how future administrations handle politically sensitive federal cases.
For more on the shifting political landscape at the state level, see how the Idaho attorney general has recently weighed in on a contested state legislative race.
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