Key facts
- A federal judge dismissed the remaining seditious conspiracy convictions against four Proud Boys members.
- The judge cited President Trump's clemency actions as the basis for the dismissal.
- Enrique Tarrio, a Proud Boys leader, was pardoned by Trump, while others had sentences commuted.
- The judge acknowledged Trump's known stance on extending clemency to January 6th defendants.
A federal judge has dismissed the remaining seditious conspiracy convictions against members of the far-right group Proud Boys. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, nominated by President Trump, stated that Trump's clemency actions last year made it impossible to preserve the convictions.
Kelly noted that Trump's views on prosecuting those involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack are well-known, as is his intention to extend clemency. The judge stressed that his order does not endorse the Department of Justice's decision to abandon the case, referring to the riot as a "perilous event" and an assault on the peaceful transfer of power.
The ruling applied to Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, and Dominic Pezzola, who were convicted after a jury trial. Their prison sentences were commuted by Trump. Enrique Tarrio, the former Proud Boys national chairman, was also convicted at the same trial but received a pardon from Trump, who had sentenced Tarrio to 22 years, the longest term in any Capitol riot case.