Published by TrenBuzz.com | May 24, 2026 | BREAKING
Key Points at a Glance – Trump’s DOJ Wipes January 6 Records From the Internet
- The US Department of Justice confirmed on May 23, 2026 that it removed all news releases about January 6 criminal cases from its official website — calling them “partisan propaganda.”
- The purge deleted press releases on charges, convictions, and sentencings for all 1,500+ Capitol riot defendants.
- Seditious conspiracy convictions of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers were formally vacated by a federal appeals court on Thursday May 22 — at the DOJ’s own request.
- The DOJ then moved to dismiss all remaining cases against Proud Boys and Oath Keepers members on Friday May 23.
- Trump pardoned all 1,500+ January 6 defendants on his first day back in office in January 2025.
- The database purge is being celebrated by Jan. 6 rioters and their supporters on social media.
- Separately, the DOJ created a $1.776 billion anti-weaponization fund — with Acting AG Todd Blanche refusing to rule out that violent rioters could receive payouts.
- Federal judges had previously pushed back on what they called the administration’s “whitewashing” of the Capitol assault.
- ProPublica, Just Security, and the Wayback Machine are racing to preserve the scrubbed records before they disappear permanently.
- This is the largest criminal investigation database in DOJ history — now gone from official public access.
It happened quietly. A journalist noticed it on a Friday afternoon on X. By the time the weekend began, the Department of Justice had confirmed the obvious — and defended it with two words that will echo through the history books: “partisan propaganda.”
The Department of Justice is acknowledging it has removed from its website news releases about criminal cases related to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, calling the information about the prosecutions “partisan propaganda.” The purge of news releases documenting criminal charges, convictions and sentencings is the latest step by the Trump administration to dramatically rewrite the history of the assault on the Capitol, when hundreds of supporters of Republican President Donald Trump stormed the building in an effort to halt the congressional certification of his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.
The DOJ’s Own Statement — And What It Reveals
“We are proud to reverse the DOJ’s weaponization under the Biden administration. We will do everything in our power to make whole those who were persecuted for political purposes,” the DOJ post read. “This includes stripping DOJ’s website of partisan propaganda.”
That statement reframes every charge, every conviction, and every guilty plea entered over five years of the most complex domestic terrorism prosecution in US history as nothing more than political targeting — not a factual or legal conclusion, but a sweeping editorial verdict issued by the very agency that prosecuted the cases.
Proud Boys and Oath Keepers Convictions Vacated
Among the releases removed from the site were those concerning seditious conspiracy cases against members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, far-right extremist groups. The Justice Department, in an unopposed motion last month, asked a federal appeals court to vacate those seditious conspiracy convictions — a request that was granted Thursday. The department on Friday moved to dismiss the cases against the group members.
People who were convicted by juries of conspiring to halt the transfer of presidential power — some of whom attacked police officers — are now legally cleared and, under the $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund, potentially in line for compensation.
The $1.8 Billion Connection — Rioters Could Get Paid
On Monday, the Justice Department announced the creation of a $1.776 billion fund meant to compensate Trump allies who feel they were unjustly investigated and prosecuted. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has not ruled out that rioters convicted of violence will be eligible for payouts, prompting bipartisan anger in Congress.
Trump, on his first day back in office in January 2025, pardoned, commuted the prison sentences or vowed to dismiss the cases of all of the 1,500-plus people charged with crimes during the Capitol assault, including those convicted of attacking officers with makeshift weapons such as flagpoles, a hockey stick and crutch.
Judges Called It “Whitewashing” — But Couldn’t Stop It
Judges over the past few days had pushed back on what they called Trump’s “whitewashing” of the mob’s attack of the Capitol as the administration quickly wound down cases against some of the most violent rioters who injured police.
The judicial pushback was vocal but legally limited — once the DOJ drops a case and the president has pardoned the defendants, there is very little a court can do to preserve a prosecution the executive branch has abandoned.
Preservationists Race to Save the Records
The US attorney’s office declined to comment. The removal of the comprehensive website cataloguing the largest criminal investigation in modern department history was celebrated by those convicted for their actions on January 6 and their supporters.
Organizations including ProPublica, Just Security, and Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine are actively archiving the deleted DOJ releases before they become inaccessible — recognizing that the official government record is being systematically dismantled.
Five years ago, leaders of both parties called January 6 an act of domestic terrorism. Today, the department that prosecuted it is calling its own case files propaganda — and deleting them from history. The records are gone from the DOJ website. But they are not gone from the internet. Not yet.
Disclaimer: This article is for general informational and news reporting purposes only. All confirmed DOJ actions, court orders, and statements are sourced from the Associated Press, Philadelphia Inquirer, Anchorage Daily News, US News & World Report, Courthouse News Service, and CNN as of May 23–24, 2026. All individuals who received pardons or had convictions vacated are legally cleared of those charges. TrenBuzz.com makes no independent legal judgments about guilt or innocence. Readers are encouraged to follow credible news and official DOJ and court sources for the latest updates.