WASHINGTON — The U.S. Justice Department has suspended two federal prosecutors who described participants in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot as a “mob of rioters” in a court filing — an action that sources say highlights growing political sensitivity around how the events of that day are characterized under the current administration.
According to four people familiar with the matter, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel White and Carlos Valdivia were placed on administrative leave Wednesday, just one day before they were set to appear in court for the sentencing of Taylor Taranto, a man convicted on federal gun charges linked to a 2023 incident in Washington, D.C.
The prosecutors’ access to government devices was revoked, and their original sentencing memorandum — which referenced the Capitol attack and former President Donald Trump’s online post revealing Barack Obama’s address — was swiftly withdrawn and replaced.
The revised memo, filed by two new prosecutors including a senior official from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, removed all references to January 6 and Trump’s post, though it maintained the recommended sentence of 27 months for Taranto.
DOJ’s Sudden Action Raises Eyebrows
Neither White nor Valdivia received a formal explanation for their removal, sources told Reuters. The decision reportedly came from the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, and a Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment on the matter.
The move follows a pattern of recent personnel shakeups targeting Justice Department employees who worked on politically contentious cases — including investigations related to Trump, the Capitol riot, and other high-profile prosecutions opposed by the administration’s allies. More than 200 prosecutors and agents have reportedly been dismissed or reassigned under similar circumstances.
The Case Against Taylor Taranto
Taranto, previously charged for his role in the Capitol assault, had been pardoned by President Trump after his return to the White House earlier this year. However, he remained jailed on unrelated gun charges stemming from a 2023 incident near Obama’s residence in Washington, D.C.
Prosecutors said Taranto drove into the former president’s neighborhood shortly after Trump posted what he claimed was Obama’s home address online. Taranto allegedly livestreamed himself as he searched for “tunnels” and said he would “stop at nothing to get the shot.”
Authorities later found two firearms, a stabilizing brace, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition in his van. Prosecutors accused him of “perpetrating a hoax” the day before his arrest by falsely claiming he would detonate a car bomb at a federal facility.
Despite his pardon for earlier charges tied to the Capitol riot, Taranto’s gun case has continued to attract scrutiny.
Political Pressure Over January 6 References
The suspension of White and Valdivia underscores the heightened tension surrounding how federal prosecutors describe January 6 defendants. Trump and his allies have repeatedly sought to minimize the violence of the riot, framing the prosecutions as examples of “political persecution” and “national injustice.”
The original memo reportedly referred to the rioters as a “mob,” drawing an implicit link between Taranto’s actions and the ideology behind the Capitol attack. That phrasing — long used in Justice Department filings under previous leadership — has now become politically sensitive.
As of now, the Justice Department has not indicated whether White and Valdivia will return to duty. Their suspension comes amid growing concern within the agency over how political oversight may affect prosecutorial independence in high-profile cases.
