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2d ago

Pardoned Jan. 6 Rioter Appointed Adviser to DOJ Weaponization Task Force

His appointment highlights how presidential clemency is fueling debates over the Justice Department’s political impartiality.

FILE - Ed Martin speaks at an event at the Capitol in Washington, on June 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades, File)
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Overview

  • Jared Lane Wise, a former FBI agent charged for urging rioters to “Kill ’em!” during the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, has joined the DOJ’s Weaponization Working Group as a counselor.
  • President Trump’s January pardon of Wise, part of a clemency sweep covering nearly 1,600 Jan. 6 defendants, led to the dismissal of his midtrial misdemeanor case.
  • Attorney General Pam Bondi created the working group in February to probe allegations that federal prosecutors unfairly target conservatives under President Biden.
  • Former interim U.S. Attorney Ed Martin Jr., known for defending Jan. 6 defendants, directs the task force and oversees Wise’s advisory role.
  • Critics warn that installing a pardoned participant in the Capitol attack risks politicizing the Justice Department and eroding public trust in its impartiality.