diff --git a/synapse/handlers/federation.py b/synapse/handlers/federation.py
index 4ff20599d..f4dce712f 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/federation.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/federation.py
@@ -1456,52 +1456,3 @@ class FederationHandler(BaseHandler):
             },
             "missing": [e.event_id for e in missing_locals],
         })
-
-    @defer.inlineCallbacks
-    def _handle_auth_events(self, origin, auth_events):
-        auth_ids_to_deferred = {}
-
-        def process_auth_ev(ev):
-            auth_ids = [e_id for e_id, _ in ev.auth_events]
-
-            prev_ds = [
-                auth_ids_to_deferred[i]
-                for i in auth_ids
-                if i in auth_ids_to_deferred
-            ]
-
-            d = defer.Deferred()
-
-            auth_ids_to_deferred[ev.event_id] = d
-
-            @defer.inlineCallbacks
-            def f(*_):
-                ev.internal_metadata.outlier = True
-
-                try:
-                    auth = {
-                        (e.type, e.state_key): e for e in auth_events
-                        if e.event_id in auth_ids
-                    }
-
-                    yield self._handle_new_event(
-                        origin, ev, auth_events=auth
-                    )
-                except:
-                    logger.exception(
-                        "Failed to handle auth event %s",
-                        ev.event_id,
-                    )
-
-                d.callback(None)
-
-            if prev_ds:
-                dx = defer.DeferredList(prev_ds)
-                dx.addBoth(f)
-            else:
-                f()
-
-        for e in auth_events:
-            process_auth_ev(e)
-
-        yield defer.DeferredList(auth_ids_to_deferred.values())