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LOADINGERROR LOADING The Justice Department is placing two federal prosecutors on administrative leave after they described the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection as an attack carried out by “thousands of people comprising a mob of rioters,” according to multiple reports. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carlos Valdivia and Samuel White said Wednesday that they were locked out of their government devices and told they’d be placed on leave, according to ABC, who first reported on the matter. It’s unclear if the Justice Department gave the prosecutors an explanation for their suspensions. Advertisement The attorneys said they were informed of the decision just hours after they filed a 14-page sentencing memorandum in the case of Taylor Taranto, one of many Jan. 6 rioters pardoned by President Donald Trump. The memorandum concerned a separate conviction on firearms and threat charges related to Taranto’s June 2023 arrest near former President Barack Obama’s home. “On Jan. 6, 2021, thousands of people comprising a mob of rioters attacked the U.S. Capitol while a joint session of Congress met to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election,” the prosecutors’ sentencing memo read. “Taranto was accused of participating in the riot in Washington, D.C., by entering the U.S. Capitol Building. After the riot, Taranto returned to his home in the State of Washington, where he promoted conspiracy theories about the events of Jan. 6, 2021.” A spokesperson for the Justice Department declined to comment on the suspensions. “While we don’t comment on personnel decisions, we want to make very clear that we take violence and threats of violence against law enforcement, current or former government officials extremely seriously,” the spokesperson told HuffPost. “We have and will continue to vigorously pursue justice against those who commit or threaten violence without regard to the political party of the offender or the target.” Advertisement According to the Wednesday filing, Taranto returned to Washington, D.C., in June 2023, falsely claiming on a livestream that he would blow up his car outside the National Institute of Standards and Technology. One day later, Trump posted Obama’s purported address on Truth Social, the prosecutors said. Taranto then reposted the address before livestreaming himself on YouTube while driving through Washington’s Kalorama neighborhood. On his broadcast, according to the filing, the now 39-year-old said he was looking for “tunnels” he thought would “provide him access to the private residences of certain high-profile individuals.” Authorities arrested Taranto as he ran toward the Obamas’ house, and a subsequent police search of his van revealed several firearms, ammunition and a machete. Unlike many other Jan. 6 rioters, Taranto failed to convince U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols that Trump’s pardon covers unrelated crimes. He was convicted in May. Advertisement Nichols is scheduled to sentence Taranto later this week. Valdivia and White recommended Taranto be sentenced to 27 months in prison for the conviction, though it’s unclear if that will change given the prosecutors’ suspensions. “Taranto’s menacing rhetoric harms public discourse and encourages others to use threats and violence to advance their views or silence their perceived political opponents,” the prosecutors said in the filing. Forget BallroomsHelp Build aNewsroom Your SupportFuelsOur Mission Your SupportFuelsOur Mission Become a HuffPost Member When power gathers under golden ceilings, real journalism stands outside, asking the questions that matter. Join HuffPost Membership and keep independent reporting strong for everyone. We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves. Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again. We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves. Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again. Support HuffPost Already a member? Log in to hide these messages. While it’s not immediately apparent which part of the sentencing memo may have triggered the suspensions, Valdivia and White would not be the first prosecutors under the Trump administration to potentially face repercussions for their roles in cases that have ties to the insurrection.
