In a dramatic twist inside the U.S. Justice Department, two federal prosecutors were abruptly placed on leave after using the phrase “a mob of rioters” to describe Donald Trump supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel White and Carlos Valdivia were preparing to appear in court for the sentencing of Taylor Taranto—a man tied to both the Capitol attack and a later gun-related case—when their government access was suddenly revoked. The move came just hours after their sentencing memo used language that linked Taranto’s actions to the Capitol riot and mentioned Trump’s social media post revealing Barack Obama’s Washington address.
Within the day, the Justice Department replaced their filing with a new, stripped-down version—one that scrubbed all mention of the Capitol siege and the former president’s post. Yet, it quietly kept their recommended sentence of 27 months.
Taranto, previously charged in connection with the 2021 Capitol assault and later pardoned by Trump, had remained in custody for gun charges stemming from a 2023 incident. That episode involved Taranto driving toward Obama’s neighborhood after amplifying Trump’s online post. A police search later uncovered firearms, ammunition, and a stabilizing brace inside his vehicle.
The suspension of the prosecutors adds to a growing pattern: a wave of internal actions against Justice Department employees tied to investigations or prosecutions viewed unfavorably by Trump and his allies. Over 200 staff members have reportedly been dismissed or sidelined since his return to office—some of whom had worked on high-profile cases connected to the former president or the Capitol attack.
Neither White nor Valdivia received an official explanation for their sudden removal. The Justice Department declined to comment on the matter.
Taranto, meanwhile, awaits sentencing in Washington, D.C.—his case now carrying echoes of both political power and prosecutorial peril.
