DOJ places on leave 2 prosecutors who said 'mob of rioters' carried out Jan. 6 attack
The prosecutors had filed a brief in the case of Taylor Taranto, sources said.
Two federal prosecutors were informed Wednesday that they will be put on leave after filing a legal brief that described the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol as being carried out by "thousands of people comprising a mob of rioters," sources familiar with their removals told ABC News.
The two prosecutors, Carlos Valdivia and Samuel White, were locked out of their government devices and informed Wednesday morning they will be placed on leave, just hours after they filed a sentencing memorandum in the case of Taylor Taranto, the sources said.
Valdivia and White were furloughed due to the government shutdown and informed they would be put on administrative leave following the conclusion of the shutdown, the sources said.
Taranto was pardoned by President Donald Trump over his involvement in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol but faced a separate conviction for firearms and threat charges related to a June 2023 arrest near the home of former President Barack Obama where he was found in possession of two guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, as well as a machete.
A day before Taranto's arrest, he claimed he would use a car bomb to drive into the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
In their sentencing memorandum, Valdivia and White used only two sentences to detail Taranto's involvement in the Jan. 6 attack.
"On January 6, 2021, thousands of people comprising a mob of rioters attacked the U.S. Capitol while a joint session of Congress met to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election," the memorandum said. "Taranto was accused of participating in the riot in Washington, D.C., by entering the U.S. Capitol Building. After the riot, Taranto returned to his home in the State of Washington, where he promoted conspiracy theories about the events of January 6, 2021."
It's unclear if Valdivia or White were given a reason for their suspensions, though the moves come following months of turmoil in the Washington, D.C., U.S. attorney's office where multiple career prosecutors faced removals or demotions related to their involvement in prosecuting the more than 1,500 defendants charged in connection with the Capitol attack.
A Justice Department spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment from ABC News.
Late Wednesday, federal prosecutors filed a new sentencing memorandum in their case against Taranto that removed any mention of his involvement in the Jan. 6 attack.
The memo further removed an account detailed in the earlier memo of how Taranto traveled to former President Obama's home only after a Truth Social post from then-former President Trump that included Obama's address.
The department, however, has not reversed its recommendation that Taranto be sentenced to 27 months in prison related to his firearms and threats convictions stemming from his June 2023 arrest.
Taranto is currently set to be sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols.
Popular Reads
ABC News Live