Two federal prosecutors, Carlos Valdivia and Samuel White, found themselves abruptly sidelined this week after filing a sentencing memorandum that described the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol as the work of "thousands of people comprising a mob of rioters." The move, first reported by ABC News and later confirmed by multiple outlets including Politico and HuffPost, has sparked questions about the Justice Department’s handling of politically sensitive language and personnel decisions under the current administration.
The controversy centers on the high-profile case of Taylor Taranto, a 39-year-old Washington state man who was pardoned by former President Donald Trump for his role in the Capitol riot but later convicted on unrelated firearms and threat charges. Taranto’s legal troubles escalated in June 2023, when he was arrested near former President Barack Obama’s home in Washington, D.C. Authorities found him in possession of two guns, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and a machete. Just a day before his arrest, Taranto had claimed in a livestream that he would blow up his car outside the National Institute of Standards and Technology, according to court filings cited by HuffPost.
On October 29, 2025, Valdivia and White submitted a 14-page sentencing memorandum in Taranto’s case. In it, they wrote, “On January 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. 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 January 6, 2021.” The memo also described Taranto’s actions after his return to Washington, D.C., in June 2023, including his threats and his journey to Obama’s neighborhood.
But within hours, the two prosecutors were locked out of their government devices and informed they would be placed on administrative leave, sources told ABC News. The Justice Department has not publicly explained the reason for their suspensions, and a spokesperson declined to comment on the personnel matter. “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,” a DOJ 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.”
Adding to the intrigue, the original sentencing memorandum vanished from the federal court docket later that same day, according to records reviewed by Law&Crime. In its place, a new, shorter memo was filed—this time with all references to January 6 and to former President Trump scrubbed. The revised memorandum, submitted by newly assigned Assistant U.S. Attorneys Travis Wolf and Jonathan R. Hornok, focused solely on Taranto’s firearms and threat convictions from June 2023. Also removed was a passage that had previously detailed how Taranto traveled to Obama’s home only after Trump posted the former president’s address on Truth Social—a detail that had drawn considerable attention.
The new memo did, however, retain descriptions of Taranto’s June 29, 2023, actions, including broadcasting footage of himself as he drove through the Kalorama neighborhood in Washington, D.C., claiming he was searching for “tunnels” to access the private residences of high-profile individuals, including former President Obama. Authorities arrested Taranto as he ran toward the Obamas’ house. A search of his van revealed several firearms, ammunition, and a machete, as reported by HuffPost and Politico.
Valdivia and White had recommended a 27-month prison sentence for Taranto’s convictions. The Justice Department has not reversed this recommendation, and Taranto’s sentencing was scheduled for October 30, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee. Notably, Judge Nichols previously rejected Taranto’s argument that Trump’s pardon for his January 6 actions should cover his unrelated firearms and threat offenses, making Taranto one of the few defendants for whom the DOJ argued the pardon did not apply, according to Politico.
The original memo, now removed from the record, also included a striking passage about Taranto’s rhetoric and its impact: “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 wrote. “Accordingly, a substantial term of incarceration is necessary to ‘reflect the seriousness of the offense,’ ‘promote respect for the law,’ and ‘provide just punishment for the offense.’”
The abrupt personnel changes and the rapid revision of the sentencing memo have fueled speculation about internal pressures within the Justice Department. According to Politico, Valdivia and White are the latest in a string of prosecutors to face removal or demotion for their involvement in January 6-related cases. Dozens more have reportedly been terminated or reassigned since the attack, including former Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Gordon, who is now suing over his termination.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, who leads the Washington, D.C., office prosecuting Taranto, was also listed as an attorney on the original memo but declined to comment directly on the matter. In a statement, Pirro emphasized the seriousness with which her office treats threats against government officials: “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.”
For many observers, the episode highlights the ongoing challenges faced by career prosecutors working on politically charged cases. The removal of Valdivia and White, coupled with the Department’s silence, has raised concerns among legal professionals and civil liberties advocates about transparency and the independence of federal prosecutors. The fact that the original, more comprehensive memo was replaced by a sanitized version—one that omits references to both January 6 and the former president’s social media post—has not gone unnoticed.
As the legal and political fallout continues, Taylor Taranto awaits sentencing for his June 2023 offenses. The case, and the controversy surrounding the prosecutors’ removal, serve as a stark reminder of the fraught intersection between law enforcement, politics, and public discourse in the post-January 6 era. The Justice Department’s next moves—and whether it will address the growing calls for clarity—remain to be seen.
In the meantime, the sudden sidelining of Valdivia and White stands as yet another chapter in the ongoing saga of the January 6 prosecutions, raising critical questions about accountability, transparency, and the rule of law in a deeply divided nation.
