Trump DOJ Purges Jan. 6 Records, Including Violent Assault Cases

The Trump Justice Department has mass-deleted hundreds of news releases from its website documenting criminal prosecutions related to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol — including records of defendants who committed violent assaults on police officers. The deletions, which the department characterized as removing “partisan propaganda,” mark the latest phase of President Donald Trump’s systematic effort to rewrite the history of the deadliest attack on the Capitol since the War of 1812.

What Was Deleted

According to an investigation by NPR, the removed materials included news releases detailing guilty pleas, jury verdicts, and prison sentences for some of the most serious crimes committed on Jan. 6. Among the affected cases were those of defendants who violently assaulted law enforcement officers:

• Daniel Rodriguez, who used an electroshock device on former D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone, sentenced to more than 12 years in prison
• Albuquerque Head, who grabbed Fanone by the neck and pulled him into the mob, sentenced to more than seven years
• Thomas Webster, a retired NYPD officer convicted of assaulting police with a metal flagpole, sentenced to 10 years
• Peter Schwartz, convicted of assaulting officers with pepper spray and throwing a metal chair, sentenced to 14 years

The Associated Press confirmed that releases concerning seditious conspiracy cases against members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers were also removed. The DOJ recently asked a federal appeals court to vacate those convictions, a request that was granted, and has moved to dismiss the cases entirely.

DOJ’s Justification

The department’s “rapid response” account on X stated: “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. This includes stripping DOJ’s website of partisan propaganda.”

The deletions were first noticed by a journalist on May 22 and confirmed by the DOJ over the weekend of May 23–24. Previously accessible web pages now lead to a “Page not found” message.

Broader Effort to Rewrite History

The purge is the latest chapter in a sweeping campaign by the Trump administration to reverse the legal consequences of the Jan. 6 attack and reshape public understanding of what occurred. As the Philadelphia Inquirer reported, that effort includes:

• Full pardons for all 1,500+ Jan. 6 defendants on Trump’s first day back in office in January 2025
• The firing of dozens of prosecutors who worked on Jan. 6 cases
• The hiring of a former Jan. 6 defendant who was seen on video urging the mob to “kill” police
• A $4.9 million settlement with the estate of rioter Ashli Babbitt
• A White House website that describes rioters as “patriots” and blames police for causing “chaos”

The Anti-Weaponization Fund

Perhaps most controversially, the administration recently announced a $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization fund” created as part of a settlement of Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS. As Time reported, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has not ruled out that violent Jan. 6 rioters could be eligible for payments from the fund.

This prospect has drawn rare bipartisan criticism. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) called the fund “utterly stupid, morally wrong,” while Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) described it as a “payout for punks.” Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) said he would “try and kill” the fund.

Analysis: An Assault on Transparency

Legal experts and transparency advocates have raised alarm about the unprecedented deletion of government records. Brendan Ballou, a former federal prosecutor who worked on Jan. 6 cases, told NPR: “It’s clear there is an ongoing fight to rewrite the history of Jan. 6, because these people know if they can successfully get people to forget about Jan. 6 — or worse yet, condone it — then they will be able to convince people to accept any attack on democracy.”

Former Capitol Police Sgt. Federico Ruiz, who suffered lifelong injuries from the attack, said in a victim impact statement: “There is not a day that goes by that pain, discomfort, and/or a mental health issue do not flare up to remind me of that day.”

What Remains

Not all Jan. 6-related materials have been removed. Some releases remain accessible, including initial charges filed two days after the riot and statements from former Attorneys General. NPR maintains its own searchable database and visual archive of all nearly 1,600 Jan. 6 criminal cases, which remains publicly accessible.

What to Watch

The deletions raise critical questions about government transparency and the preservation of historical records. With the 2026 midterm elections approaching, the administration’s handling of Jan. 6 — including potential payouts from the anti-weaponization fund — is likely to remain a flashpoint. Legal challenges to the fund are already underway, with police officers who defended the Capitol suing to prevent payments to those who assaulted them.