DOJ asks D.C. Circuit to vacate seditious conspiracy convictions of 12 Proud Boys and Oath Keepers

The Justice Department asks the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on April 14, 2026, to vacate the seditious conspiracy convictions of 12 Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders — including Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and Proud Boys leaders Enrique Tarrio, Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, and Dominic Pezzola. Trump commuted their sentences in January 2025 but left the felony convictions intact. The DOJ motion — filed by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's office — would erase the convictions entirely and permanently dismiss the indictments with prejudice. This restores defendants' right to own firearms and eliminates their felony records. The motion tests whether prosecutorial discretion extends to undoing completed jury verdicts. Commutation is an Article II presidential power; vacatur requires court action.