D.C. has dropped a lawsuit against leaders and members of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys, far-right militant groups that participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The suit was filed in December 2021 by then-D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine with the stated goal of holding Capitol rioters accountable.
A spokesperson for the D.C. Office of the Attorney General, now headed by Brian Schwalb, told WTOP on Tuesday the office is abandoning the suit for several reasons.
“After this civil case was filed, the defendants were convicted by a jury or pled guilty in criminal proceedings. Given the challenges currently facing the District and the relatively small potential recoveries the District could obtain, OAG’s resources are now needed and best used elsewhere,” a statement from the office spokesperson reads.
While the defendants were convicted, during his first day in office, President Donald Trump granted sweeping clemency to participants in the Capitol riot.
Defendants of the suit included Stewart Rhodes, founder and long-standing leader of the Oath Keepers, and Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio.
Unlike most of the Jan. 6 criminal defendants who were pardoned, Rhodes’ sentence was commuted, meaning he remains on supervised release and must follow certain court restrictions. In January, a federal judge barred Rhodes from entering D.C.
Last month, Tarrio was arrested by U.S. Capitol Police and charged with simple assault.
In a post on X, Tarrio reacted to D.C. dropping its suit against the Proud Boys, saying, “Another exoneration? If God is with us … Who can be against us. Romans 8:31.”
In all, the lawsuit included more than three-dozen people, members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, as well as the groups themselves.
WTOP’s Will Vitka and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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