Additional Coverage:
As the 2024 election approaches, Matthew Graves, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, continues to focus on cases stemming from when former President Donald Trump was last on the ballot.
The January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, which interrupted the certification of the electoral votes, has led to the largest prosecution in U.S. history. Trump has referred to the rioters as “hostages” and stated he is “inclined to pardon many of them.” In contrast, top prosecutor Matthew Graves described the ongoing legal proceedings as a clear example of due process, emphasizing that prosecutions are based on actions, not beliefs.
Over 1,000 Americans have been convicted in connection with the Capitol attack, with approximately 350 trials still pending, and the FBI continues to search for suspects. Only two people have been acquitted of all charges thus far.
Graves explained that the prosecution of the January 6 rioters began the day after the attack, under the Trump administration. Key decisions were made by career prosecutors, who serve irrespective of the presidential administration.
These prosecutors realized the necessity of establishing guidelines to determine who would be charged and for what offenses, which began on January 7, 2021. These guidelines remain in use.
The guidelines focus on prosecuting individuals who entered the Capitol, those who engaged in violent or destructive behavior, carried firearms or other weapons illegally, or assisted others in breaching the building. Not everyone present that day has been charged.
“The FBI has presented us with evidence in hundreds of cases, and it’s up to us to determine if prosecution is warranted under our guidelines,” Graves said, noting that many cases have been declined due to insufficient evidence or not fitting the established criteria.
Prosecutors have access to extensive evidence, including thousands of hours of video and photos documenting the events. Graves highlighted this abundance of evidence as unparalleled in history.
Among the documented incidents, video captured the assault on Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges. Speaking in a personal capacity, Hodges recounted being attacked with a police shield, having his gas mask ripped off, and being beaten with his own riot baton.
Many defendants have admitted their crimes, with over 900 — or 80% of those convicted — pleading guilty. Charges range from trespassing to seditious conspiracy, with one militia leader receiving a 22-year prison sentence, the longest yet.
Retired federal judge Thomas Griffith, a conservative appointee of President George W. Bush, emphasized that the trials have been conducted fairly in open court in Washington, D.C., with defendants given every opportunity to defend themselves.
Despite claims of the Biden administration influencing the prosecutions, Graves firmly denies this, stating that career prosecutors have managed the cases across two administrations. “I’ve never met President Biden,” Graves stated, reinforcing the separation between the Department of Justice and the White House to ensure unbiased prosecution based solely on violations of the law.