Justice Dept. sidelines prosecutors over Jan. 6 case filing

Two US federal prosecutors were informed on Wednesday that they will be put on administrative leave after describing the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack as a "mob of rioters" in a legal filing, according to sources cited by ABC News.

Prosecutors Carlos Valdivia and Samuel White were reportedly locked out of their government accounts hours after submitting a sentencing memorandum in the case of Taylor Taranto, who had been pardoned by former President Donald Trump for his role in the Capitol breach but was later convicted on firearms and threat charges.

"On January 6, 2021, thousands of people comprising a mob of rioters attacked the US Capitol while a joint session of Congress met to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election," the memo stated.

It also noted that Taranto had entered the Capitol and later spread conspiracy theories about the event.

According to ABC News, the Justice Department did not respond to requests for comment.

Later that evening, federal prosecutors filed a revised memorandum in Taranto's case, removing references to Jan. 6 and to Trump's Truth Social post allegedly revealing former US President Barack Obama's address before Taranto's 2023 arrest near Obama's home.

Despite the edits, prosecutors maintained their recommendation of a 27-month sentence, with Taranto's hearing scheduled for Thursday before US District Judge Carl Nichols.

The suspensions come amid ongoing upheaval within the Washington, DC, US Attorney's Office, where several career prosecutors have reportedly faced removals or demotions related to their handling of Jan. 6 prosecutions.