The Justice Department on Tuesday asked a federal appeals court to vacate the seditious conspiracy convictions of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders who were sentenced to prison for their roles in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.

Prosecutors filed a request with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to throw out convictions against about a dozen members of the far-right extremist groups, including Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes. The motion would allow the government to permanently dismiss the indictments.

The request follows President Donald Trump's commutation in January of prison sentences for several Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders as part of a broader clemency action covering more than 1,500 defendants charged in connection with the January 6 attack. The Justice Department's motion would go further by erasing the convictions entirely.

Juries in Washington, D.C., had convicted the extremist group leaders of orchestrating plots to stop the peaceful transfer of power following Trump's 2020 election loss. The seditious conspiracy charges represented some of the most serious cases to emerge from the Capitol attack investigation.

In court filings, prosecutors stated that the motion to vacate was "consistent with its practice" in cases where the government determines dismissal serves "the interests of justice." The filing was signed by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.

Separately, federal court records indicate that at least one January 6 defendant who received a presidential pardon is facing charges in an unrelated child exploitation case involving multiple victims.