Prosecutors Who Called January 6 Crowd A “Mob Of Rioters” Placed On Leave By DOJ

Two federal prosecutors were placed on leave hours after describing Trump supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, as a mob of rioters.

Sources told ABC News that the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday informed Carlos Valdivia and Samuel White they would be put on administrative leave.

Assistant U.S. attorneys Valdivia and White were locked out of their government devices and informed that their leave will start when the government reopens, with the pair currently furloughed.

It came just hours after the prosecutors had referenced the U.S. Capitol attack and a Truth Social post made by Donald Trump in a sentencing memorandum for Taylor Taranto.

Taranto, who was pardoned by Trump for his involvement in the Capitol riot, is due to be sentenced in an unrelated case on Friday.

Those charges relate to his arrest in June 2023 near former President Barack Obama’s home.

Taranto was found with two guns, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and a machete after Trump included Obama’s home address in a Truth Social post, which was seen by Taranto before he traveled there.

The prosecutors noted that Taranto claimed “he was searching for ‘tunnels’ he believed would provide him access to the private residences of certain high-profile individuals, including former President Obama,” Politico reported.

Valdivia and White briefly referenced the January 6 attack in the sentencing memorandum.

"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," the document read.

"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."

A revised sentencing memorandum was filed by two new prosecutors on Wednesday evening, with all mention of January 6 and Trump’s Truth Social post removed.

The DOJ declined to comment on the incident, and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro did not address the move in a statement to Politico.

“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,” Pirro said.

“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.”

It is unclear if Valdivia or White were told of the reasoning behind the decision to place them on leave; however, it comes after several people involved in prosecuting January 6 rioters have been removed or demoted.

Michael Gordon, who led major January 6 prosecutions, was fired in June via a one-line memo signed by Attorney General Pam Bondi. He is suing over the dismissal.