Two U.S. Prosecutors Suspended After Labeling Jan. 6 Riot a “Mob”

UPDATE: Two U.S. prosecutors in Washington, D.C., have been placed on leave after describing the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot as a “mob of rioters” in a recent sentencing memo. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carlos Valdivia and Samuel White submitted the memo just hours before their suspension was confirmed on October 29, 2023.

The prosecutors were handling the case against Taylor Taranto, who was granted a pardon by former President Donald Trump for his involvement in the Capitol insurrection. Taranto faces sentencing for unrelated charges involving threats and firearms, with a hearing scheduled for this coming Friday.

The memo argued for a 27-month prison sentence, citing an incident where Taranto allegedly drove through Barack Obama‘s neighborhood with a van filled with weapons and ammunition. In their memo, Valdivia and White highlighted that “thousands of people comprising a mob of rioters attacked the U.S. Capitol” during a crucial congressional session to certify the 2020 election results.

Reports from ABC News and Politico indicate that the two prosecutors were locked out of their government-issued devices on Wednesday before being officially placed on leave. The reasons for their suspension remain unclear, as does the potential impact on Taranto’s sentencing date.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice declined to comment on personnel decisions but emphasized the seriousness of threats against law enforcement and government officials.

“We have and will continue to vigorously pursue justice against those who commit or threaten violence without regard to the political party of the offender or the target,”

said Jeanine Pirro, who leads the prosecution in this case.

The fallout from this incident raises significant questions about political pressures within the judicial system, especially regarding how events surrounding January 6 are characterized by those enforcing the law. The implications of their descriptions could reverberate through ongoing cases related to the Capitol riots.

As this story develops, observers will be watching closely to see how the Department of Justice responds and whether this incident alters the direction of the prosecution against Taranto. The tension surrounding the handling of the January 6 cases continues to evoke strong opinions and reactions nationwide, making this a situation to monitor closely.

Stay tuned for more updates as we track this urgent development in the U.S. legal landscape.