WASHINGTON — Pardoning rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol 4 years in the past can’t erase the reality about what occurred that day, the highest federal prosecutor for Washington, D.C., stated Tuesday as he prepares to depart workplace.
“There is no undoing these prosecutions,” U.S. Lawyer Matthew Graves instructed The Related Press. “The vindication of the rule of law is something that has already occurred. And no one can take that away.”
Graves helped lead the biggest investigation in Justice Division historical past, overseeing a whole lot of circumstances in opposition to rioters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His successor, whoever that will likely be, might preside over an abrupt finish to that work.
President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to pardon Capitol rioters when he returns to the White Home subsequent week, however Graves stated pardons can’t undo “the record that was built through these prosecutions and the accountability that has already been imposed.”
“There will always be a public record of what occurred on January 6th, and people who care to know the facts will be able to find out the facts,” Graves stated.
Graves, who has confronted a torrent of on-line abuse and requires retribution from Trump supporters, stated he has no plans to hunt a pardon for himself earlier than President Joe Biden leaves workplace.
“I don’t even begin to know what I could possibly be pardoned for as a prosecutor,” he added. “There is no crime here. There is just public servants doing their job and enforcing the law.”
Graves, who took workplace in November 2021, plans to step down Thursday forward of Trump’s inauguration Monday. Trump has vowed to situation pardons to Capitol rioters on his first day again within the White Home, repeatedly referring to them as “hostages” and “patriots.”
Greater than 1,500 individuals have been charged with Capitol riot-related crimes. Almost 1,300 of them have pleaded responsible or been convicted by a decide or jury after trials. And over 1,000 riot defendants have been sentenced, with roughly two-thirds receiving a time period of imprisonment starting from a number of days to 22 years.
Solely two Capitol riot defendants have been acquitted of all expenses — in each circumstances by a decide after a bench trial. Many Trump supporters have cited that as proof that Washington juries can’t be truthful and neutral.
Graves believes his workplace’s near-perfect conviction charge displays the power of their proof. Many rioters used cellphones to report and narrate their crimes and posted confessions on social media within the days following their assault, which disrupted the peaceable switch of presidential energy from Trump to Biden after the 2020 election.
“This is the most recorded crime in the history of the country,” Graves stated. “The evidence is just overwhelming in these cases. As someone who is a career prosecutor, it’s rare that you have this much evidence, which is why you’re seeing these outcomes.”
Over 100 law enforcement officials had been injured whereas defending the Capitol from a mob of Trump supporters. Trump hasn’t specified whether or not he would pardon rioters who assaulted officers, however Vice President-elect JD Vance stated throughout an interview televised Sunday that rioters who engaged in violence “obviously” shouldn’t be pardoned. Vance later stated there was a “bit of a gray area” in some circumstances.
Graves stated he doesn’t see any foundation for a pardon or clemency in any Jan. 6 case. He additionally expressed confidence that the Justice Division can stay free from political interference.
“I came in as a career prosecutor during a Republican administration,” he stated. “I’ve never seen a whiff of political interference in my time as a career prosecutor. I tend to believe past is prologue.”
Graves stated combating violent crime in Washington has been his major focus over the previous three years. He believes his workplace’s efforts contributed to a 35% discount in violent crime final yr within the District of Columbia.
“Prosecutors can influence these crime trends. They don’t control them. There are a host of other actors that are involved,” he stated.
Graves stated he had deliberate to depart the U.S. Lawyer’s workplace in 2025 irrespective of who gained the presidential election. Within the brief time period, he’s trying ahead to taking a trip.
“And then I’m sure at some point I will transition back to (law) practice, but that’s all to be determined in the future,” he stated.