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5h ago

Judge Praises Suspended DOJ Prosecutors After Jan. 6 References Scrubbed in Taranto Case

The sentencing judge lauded their work after the Justice Department replaced their filing with a version that removed references to the Capitol attack.

A circle points out Taylor Taranto, in this image of him entering the the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Rioters loyal to Trump stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The DOJ later revised Taylor Taranto’s case filing, removing references to Trump and the Capitol attack.
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Overview

  • Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carlos Valdivia and Samuel White were placed on administrative leave and locked out of government systems hours after filing a memo that called Jan. 6 a "mob of rioters."
  • The Justice Department withdrew the original Taranto sentencing memo as "entered in error" and filed a revised version that omitted mentions of Jan. 6 and a Trump post with Barack Obama’s address.
  • Two new prosecutors, including senior official Jonathan Hornok, entered appearances in the case as U.S. Attorney Jeannie Pirro declined to explain the changes or the suspensions.
  • U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols praised Valdivia and White for a "commendable" job and sentenced Taylor Taranto to 21 months in prison, credited as time served, with no additional incarceration.
  • The personnel moves fit a broader pattern of actions against DOJ employees tied to Jan. 6 matters, and the department has not provided a substantive public explanation.