Written by Were Kelly
A federal judge in Washington DC has publicly commended two prosecutors who were removed from a case after they filed a court document describing participants in the 6 January 2021 US Capitol attack as a “mob of rioters.” The praise came during the sentencing of Taylor Taranto, a Washington state man convicted on weapons and hoax charges.
Judge Carl Nichols, appointed by former President Donald Trump in 2019, made the remarks at a hearing on Thursday, 30 October 2025, where he sentenced Taranto to 21 months in prison. Noting the absence of Assistant US Attorneys Samuel White and Carlos Valdivia from the proceedings, Judge Nichols offered unsolicited praise for their professionalism.
“My view is that they did a commendable and excellent job in this case,” Judge Nichols said, adding that the two prosecutors were “among the best” who had argued in his court and upheld the “highest levels of professionalism.”
White and Valdivia had been placed on administrative leave the previous day, according to a source familiar with the situation. This action followed their filing of a sentencing memo that detailed Taranto’s alleged conduct during the Capitol riot, where a crowd disrupted the certification of the 2020 presidential election.
The memo described the events accurately, but the prosecutors were reportedly punished for it. The document was subsequently withdrawn from the court docket and replaced with a version from different prosecutors that omitted the references to the riot.
The US Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, declined to comment on personnel matters but provided a general statement. “We want to make it very clear that we take violence and threats of violence against law enforcement, current or former government officials extremely seriously,” she 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.”
Taranto had previously faced charges related to his presence at the Capitol on 6 January, but those counts were dismissed following Trump’s sweeping pardons of individuals involved in the riot. The present case stemmed from his actions in June 2023. Prosecutors said Taranto broadcast a video while driving, claiming he intended to detonate his vehicle at a government building.
The following day, he filmed himself in a Washington neighbourhood attempting to access the residence of former President Barack Obama, stating he wanted to “get the shot.” Upon his arrest, firearms and ammunition were found in his van.
Following a bench trial, Taranto was found guilty of illegally carrying a gun without a licence, possessing ammunition, and spreading false information and hoaxes. At sentencing, government lawyers, now represented by prosecutor Travis Wolf, argued for a 27-month sentence, characterising Taranto’s actions as “part of a broader campaign of intimidation against the federal government and public officials.”
In contrast, Taranto’s defence lawyer, Carmen Hernandez, pleaded for leniency, emphasising the non-violent nature of his actions. “His defence lawyer, Carmen Hernandez, emphasised that Taranto didn’t directly threaten any individual and that he believed he was expressing himself under the First Amendment,” the court heard.
Judge Nichols ultimately imposed a sentence at the lower end of the guidelines, citing the severity of the conduct but also the absence of actual violence. “Nichols said while Taranto’s conduct was ‘severe,’ he acknowledged he never acted violently,” the judgement noted. The 21-month term was deemed time-served, as Taranto had already spent 22 months in pretrial custody. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release.
Before concluding the hearing, Judge Nichols also addressed the withdrawn sentencing memo, stating it was “not entirely clear” to him how it was sealed and that he intended to unseal the document unless the government formally objected.
SOURCE: BLOOMBERG LAW
