Top Capitol riot prosecutor to step down
Matthew Graves, the US attorney for the District of Columbia, has announced that he will resign shortly before President-elect Donald Trump begins his second term in office.
Graves, who has held the position since November 2021, has managed several significant investigations, most notably the extensive inquiry into the January 6 Capitol riots.
In an official statement released on Monday, Graves expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve, stating, “It has been the honor of a lifetime to be the United States attorney for the District of Columbia. I am incredibly proud of our achievements during this unprecedented period.”
He said his decision to step down had come after fulfilling both personal and professional commitments during a time of historic challenges.
Graves oversaw the largest investigation ever undertaken by the Department of Justice in response to the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack. To date, approximately 1,600 individuals have been charged in connection with the riot, with nearly 1,100 already sentenced.
Earlier this month, Trump indicated his intention to pardon “most” of the individuals accused or convicted in relation to the Capitol breach, which would be one of the first acts of his second presidency. “It’s going to start in the first hour,” Trump told Time magazine in an interview for its feature on him as the publication’s 2024 Person of the Year. “Maybe the first nine minutes.”
