'Won't let them erase history': Jason Crow slams DOJ for deleting January 6 releases

Rep. Jason Crow slammed the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) as it admitted to removing news releases from its website about the criminal cases related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots. Crow, who claimed to be an eyewitness during the insurrection, said that the people who attacked the Capitol were "violent criminals" in a post on X. "We won't let them erase history," he added. 

The DOJ, however, claimed that it was proud of removing such reports, citing propaganda. Responding to a journalist who claimed that the Justice Department had deleted these particular news reports "quietly," it said that the effort was made to reverse "weaponization" under the Joe Biden administration. "We will do everything in our power to make whole those who were persecuted for political purposes. This includes stripping DOJ's website of partisan propaganda," it added.

According to a CBS report, among the news releases that were removed were seditious conspiracy cases against members of organisations, some of whom many believe to be extremists. These include the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers. In April this year, the DOJ had asked a federal court to vacate convictions related to the Capitol riots against several members of these organisations. The list included Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison for seditious conspiracy and other charges.

It also included Proud Boys members such as Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, and Zachary Rehl, all of whom were sentenced to 18 years behind bars after being convicted of seditious conspiracy, as per a separate CBS report. As far as the January 6 insurrectionists are concerned, the DOJ has not ruled out potentially compensating them for being mistreated by the previous administration. The compensation would come from the taxpayer-funded anti-weaponization fund, which is facing serious legal hurdles at the moment.

Some Democrats, like Rep. Crow, believe that the Justice Department was trying to erase history with its decision to remove certain news releases regarding the riots. Others are taking action to make sure that is not the case. Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, a vocal critic of the Capitol riots and the Trump administration, signed legislation into law, which could see schools in the state teach students about the events of that day.

According to Meidas News, the law requires the Virginia state education board to assess whether schools should include "additional instructional emphasis on recent, twenty-first-century history and current events, including the events on or related to the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the United States Capitol" in the curriculum. The bill was sponsored by Northern Virginia state delegate Dan Helmer.

"Any program of instruction, any accompanying curriculum or instructional materials, or any instruction provided by a teacher as a part of any program of instruction on or relating to the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the United States Capitol shall not describe, portray, or present as credible a description or portrayal of the actions precipitating or involved in the events of the January 6, 2021, insurrection as peaceful protest," his proposal read.