Listen to article \u2022\u00a00:00 min<\/p>\n
The Justice Department said Tuesday it was seeking to vacate the conviction of Zach Rehl, the former leader of the Philadelphia Proud Boys<\/a> who was found guilty of seditious conspiracy<\/a> for his role in helping incite the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 \u2014 the latest development in President Donald Trump<\/a>\u2019s efforts to effectively erase any criminal consequences from that ill-fated attempt to keep him in power.<\/p>\n In a motion<\/a> filed in the Washington, D.C., Circuit Court of Appeals \u2014 the jurisdiction where Rehl was tried and convicted \u2014 prosecutors said it was \u201cnot in the interests of justice to continue to prosecute this case,\u201d and asked that Rehl\u2019s conviction be vacated so they could dismiss all charges and end the proceedings.<\/p>\n Trump had already helped free Rehl from a 15-year prison sentence<\/a> last year, commuting his sentence as well as those of 13 other accused ringleaders who helped foment the chaos at the Capitol five years ago.<\/p>\n Still, the commutation kept Rehl\u2019s conviction intact, and did not measure up to the broader form of relief Trump granted to 1,500 others who were also charged in connection with the attack. For those defendants, Trump issued blanket pardons<\/a> as one of his first official acts back in the White House after being reelected in 2024.<\/p>\n Tuesday\u2019s request, if approved by the courts, could offer an even more comprehensive form of relief, because unlike a pardon, it would allow prosecutors to dismiss Rehl\u2019s indictment.<\/p>\n And Rehl would not be the only person to benefit: Prosecutors made the same request for some other Proud Boys and Oath Keepers who did not receive pardons, including Rehl\u2019s codefendants, Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, and Dominic Pezzola, who had been convicted and ordered to serve at least 10 years in prison before Trump issued the commutations.<\/p>\n Rehl said in an interview Tuesday that he was \u201cthrilled\u201d because \u201cI felt like I was innocent from the start.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a sigh of relief and I\u2019m really just happy to be able to move on from this,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve been fighting tooth and nail for justice.\u201d<\/p>\n After all the fighting, it appears this chapter is finally over. Persistently fighting for truth and justice pays off! I am beyond thrilled right now, I cant even begin to describe my feelings right now. Thank you for everyone who supported us in this fight! Love you all!\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/aRTCJugV9J<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Zach Rehl (@zach_rehl) April 14, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n During the four years between Trump\u2019s two terms in office, more than 1,200 people<\/a> were convicted of crimes ranging from trespassing to assaulting law enforcement officers on Jan. 6, 2021, while trying to block certification of Joe Biden<\/a>\u2019s electoral win, according to the Justice Department. Officials said the probe was the largest investigation in the department\u2019s history.<\/p>\n But Trump was fiercely and openly critical of that effort, describing some of those charged<\/a> as \u201cpatriots\u201d and \u201chostages\u201d as he sought to downplay the gravity of what unfolded that day.<\/p>\n Beyond offering pardons and commutations once he was sworn in for his second term \u2014 acts that were quickly criticized by Democrats<\/a> \u2014 Trump also ordered the Justice Department to drop and dismiss hundreds of other cases that were still pending.<\/p>\n