Overview

• NPR released previously unpublished police bodycam footage showing former FBI agent Jared Wise shouting “kill ’em” and urging rioters to assault officers during the January 6, 2021 Capitol breach.
• President Trump’s January 20, 2025 pardon led to the dismissal of Wise’s 2023 indictment on charges including civil disorder and aiding and abetting an assault on law enforcement.
• In July 2025, Wise was appointed senior adviser to the DOJ’s Weaponization Working Group, a unit created to probe alleged political bias in federal investigations.
• Analysts and former prosecutors condemned the hiring as “horrific” and questioned the Justice Department’s commitment to upholding law enforcement integrity.
• After labeling Wise “a valued member,” the Justice Department dismissed him following public outrage, prompting renewed questions about its internal vetting and pardon procedures.