MaddowBlog-Jared Wise's departure from the Justice Department isn't just another resignation

[LetMyPeopleVote]

The Jan. 6 rioter, who urged rioters to “kill” police officers, stepped down because he no longer wanted to be a part of the DOJ’s “weaponization” group.

Given his Jan. 6 background, Jared Wise’s DOJ resignation is a good thing, but note the details:

The rioter didn’t resign because Justice Department officials no longer wanted to be associated with him; Wise resigned because *he* no longer wanted to be associated with *them*.

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-04-03T17:21:16.313Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/jared-wises-departure-from-the-justice-department-isnt-just-another-resignation

Donald Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday, but as it turns out, she wasn’t the only highly controversial figure to exit Main Justice this week. NBC News reported:

Jared Wise, a former Jan. 6 defendant who was later employed by the Trump administration, resigned today from the Justice Department, where he was working with the ‘weaponization working group.’

‘I returned to Washington to fully expose the abuses by the FBI and DOJ against J6 defendants, but it became clear that this will only happen from outside of government. So I left and will do so,’ he wrote on X.

If there were a competition for the most controversial hire of the Trump administration’s second term, Wise would be a top contender.

Last summer, the Justice Department’s “weaponization working group” (itself an absurdity) hired Wise, a former FBI agent. Though his name is probably unfamiliar to most Americans, he was a ridiculous choice for a position in the DOJ for an important reason: Wise was a Jan. 6 rioter accused of encouraging the insurrectionist mob to kill police officers.....

The administration didn’t deny any of this. The Justice Department was unembarrassed about its hiring of an insurrectionist captured on video urging rioters to kill cops. In fact, a DOJ spokesperson conceded Wise’s role and described him as “a valued member” of the team.

This week, however, Wise decided to step down, which is notable in its own right, though I’m struck by his description of the circumstances. He didn’t resign because Justice Department officials no longer wanted to be associated with him; Wise resigned because he no longer wanted to be associated with them.

I don’t know when the Justice Department’s reputation will recover, but it won’t be anytime soon.

[drmeow]

1. He's still full of shit

"‘I returned to Washington to fully expose the abuses by the FBI and DOJ against J6 defendants, but it became clear that this will only happen from outside of government. So I left and will do so,’ he wrote on X." Translation - even within the most BS/partisan/unjust Justice Department ever he didn't have a case for abuses against J6 rioters!"