Alex Gakos/Shutterstock.comBy Steve NeavlingA federal judge sharply criticized the Justice Department while dismissing the final criminal case tied to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, saying the decision weakened accountability for one of the darkest days in American democracy, CNN reports. “This is the last of the prosecutions seeking to hold accountable those responsible for the events of January 6,” U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta wrote in an order dismissing the case against nine Oath Keepers members and leaders. “The government thus asks to absolve these Defendants of crimes against the United States itself,” Mehta wrote. Mehta presided over the landmark prosecution of the Oath Keepers, including the trial and sentencing of founder Stewart Rhodes, who received an 18-year prison sentence. In a final rebuke, Mehta said the outcome “diminishes the gravity of that day” and “excuses criminal acts” that caused the peaceful transfer of presidential power to buckle.