U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta on Tuesday criticized the Justice Department's request to dismiss the seditious conspiracy case against members of the far-right Oath Keepers group, stating the action effectively "absolves these Defendants of crimes against the United States itself." The judge, nominated by former President Barack Obama, reluctantly granted the administration's request, marking the end of prosecutions related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
Mehta wrote in his ruling that the government's move "diminishes the gravity of that day, denigrates the work of the prosecutors and law enforcement officers who secured these convictions, and excuses criminal acts that caused a centuries-long pillar of our democracy — the peaceful transfer of presidential power — to buckle." He stated the court could not "write a different ending."
The dismissal follows a broader effort by the Trump administration to vacate convictions and commute sentences for individuals involved in the Jan. 6 events. While most Jan. 6 defendants received full pardons, Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and others convicted of seditious conspiracy had their sentences commuted. Trump also directed the attorney general to seek the dismissal of approximately 450 pending cases stemming from the investigation.
Rhodes, who was released from prison in January 2025 after his sentence was commuted, did not enter the Capitol on Jan. 6. He has maintained his innocence, calling himself a "political prisoner." An attorney for Rhodes expressed disappointment with the judge's "tenor," suggesting his "personal opinions" were unnecessary.
Juries had previously convicted leaders and members of the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys of orchestrating plots aimed at disrupting the peaceful transfer of power following the 2020 election. More than 1,200 people nationwide have been convicted of Jan. 6-related crimes, including about 200 who pleaded guilty to assaulting law enforcement officers.