Former DOJ attorney details January 6 prosecutions, internal resistance to reform, and COVID‑era cases in conversation with #WalkAway founder Brandon Straka
NEW YORK, May 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A former Department of Justice attorney is alleging that the federal justice system has been politicized and weaponized against certain Americans, saying that meaningful reform is impossible without bold outside leadership. Jon Gross, who represented more than 20 January 6 defendants before joining the DOJ, gives a detailed account of prosecutions he believes were politically motivated, internal resistance to reform, and his conclusion that the department cannot police itself.
Gross's account is laid out in a long-form exclusive interview released this week titled "Betrayal of the Base," where he sits down with #WalkAway founder Brandon Straka. The conversation covers January 6 prosecutions, disparities between those cases and other political protests, treatment of defendants in Washington, D.C., courts, COVID‑era prosecutions, and what Gross describes as a "sham" de‑weaponization working group inside the Justice Department. He argues that the department's current leadership and "revolving door" culture have insulated it from real accountability.
Gross says his concerns grew as he saw felony charges under obstruction statutes levied against January 6 defendants while similar charges were not pursued for other protest-related violence. "The disparity reflected a politically...
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