The Department of Justice has suspended two federal prosecutors after they described the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol as a riot, raising new concerns about political pressure inside Pam Bondi’s DOJ.
The move, confirmed by ABC correspondents Katherine Faulders and Alex Mallin, came just days after a legal filing referred to “thousands of people comprising a mob of rioters,” standard language that has appeared in dozens of federal cases since the attack.
The prosecutors, identified as Carlos Valdivia and Samuel White, were placed on leave on Wednesday following the submission of a sentencing memo in the Taylor Taranto case, which involved a defendant linked to January 6 and charged in separate incidents. Their filing recommended a 27-month sentence and included descriptions consistent with the government’s longstanding characterization of the Capitol assault. Within hours, both men were notified that they had been suspended pending review.
Per Faulders, “The two prosecutors, Carlos Valdivia and Samuel White, were locked out of their government devices and informed Wednesday morning they will be placed on leave just hours after filing a sentencing memorandum in the case of Taylor Taranto, the sources said.”
The Department of Justice did not explain the suspensions. It’s the latest sign that Bondi, who became attorney general earlier this year, is tightening her control over how prosecutors describe the events of January 6. In June, she fired three prosecutors who worked on Capitol riot cases, an unprecedented move that sparked outrage among career DOJ attorneys. Dozens more were terminated shortly after President Donald Trump took office, part of what critics describe as a broad purge of officials unwilling to soften the language around the 2021 insurrection.
In this latest case, the disciplinary action appears to have been triggered solely by the use of the word “rioters.” The description, once accepted as factual by courts, prosecutors, and defense teams alike, is now reportedly being treated as a political red line within the department. Former DOJ officials say the decision represents a chilling escalation, warning that it undermines the independence of federal prosecutors and distorts the historical record.
Bondi’s allies insist the shakeups are about professionalism, not politics. “Attorney General Bondi expects consistency and accountability,” one senior official told reporters, dismissing the backlash as “media hysteria.” Yet to many inside the building, the message is unmistakable: using language that contradicts the administration’s narrative could cost you your job.
The suspensions could also complicate the ongoing sentencing of defendants linked to the Capitol attack. The Taranto case is one of several involving individuals accused of threatening public officials and participating in political violence. Legal analysts warn that removing prosecutors mid-case could delay sentencing and open the door to defense challenges questioning the department’s impartiality.
Bondi’s critics, including several former U.S. attorneys, say the pattern of firings and suspensions amounts to rewriting history. “The facts are what they are,” one former DOJ official said. “Rioters stormed the Capitol. No amount of spin changes that.”
As the Justice Department faces mounting scrutiny, the controversy shows a deeper divide within federal law enforcement: between those willing to adapt their work to fit a new political climate, and those determined to keep describing January 6 as it actually happened. Bondi continues to fuel speculation about the Department of Justice under her leadership.
