UPDATE: Two U.S. attorneys in Washington, D.C., have been suspended following their controversial description of the January 6 Capitol riot as a “mob of rioters.” This urgent development comes just hours after the prosecutors, Carlos Valdivia and Samuel White, submitted a sentencing memo in the case of Taylor Taranto, who is facing multiple charges.
The memo, filed on October 29, 2023, asks U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols to impose a 27-month prison sentence for Taranto’s threats against the National Institute of Standards and Technology and for driving through Barack Obama‘s neighborhood with a van full of weapons. In the memo, the prosecutors stated, “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.”
Just hours after the memo submission, both Valdivia and White found themselves locked out of their government-issued devices and placed on leave. Their suspension raises immediate questions about the implications for Taranto’s sentencing, scheduled for this Friday.
Authorities have not clarified the reasons behind the prosecutors’ suspension or whether it will affect the upcoming court date. A spokesperson for the Department of Justice, alongside U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, declined to comment further on the personnel decisions but emphasized the seriousness of threats against law enforcement and government officials.
In her statement, Pirro conveyed, “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.” This reaffirmation comes amid heightened scrutiny of the legal responses to the January 6 events.
Taranto, who was pardoned by Donald Trump for his involvement in the January 6 riots, was arrested for separate, unrelated charges. After the Capitol riot, he returned to his home in Washington State, where he reportedly promoted conspiracy theories regarding the events that unfolded that day.
As this story develops, the legal community is closely monitoring the situation, with many speculating on the potential ramifications for future prosecutions related to the January 6 insurrection. The urgent question remains: what will happen to Taranto’s sentencing now that his prosecutors have been sidelined?
Stay tuned for updates as more information becomes available.
