A United States federal court has dismissed the seditious conspiracy cases against four members of the Proud Boys, a far-right group involved in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. On July 11, 2026, Judge Timothy J. Kelly, appointed by former President Donald Trump, granted the government's motion to dismiss the case with prejudice, preventing any future revival of the charges.

The defendants—Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, and Dominic Pezzola—had previously been convicted of serious offenses related to the attack. Judge Kelly acknowledged the gravity of the January 6 event, stating, “As the Court has said many times, the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021 was a perilous event.”

The Capitol attack occurred shortly after Trump lost the 2020 presidential election to Democrat Joe Biden. During his 2024 campaign, Trump characterized the January 6 prosecutions as government “weaponisation” and promised to pardon those involved in the riot. At one point, Trump was quoted saying, “If Mike Pence does the right thing, we win the election.”

This dismissal is the latest example of efforts by the Trump administration to unravel prosecutions against individuals involved in the January 6 riot.

Sources