The founder of the extremist group Oath Keepers was sentenced Thursday to 18 years in prison for orchestrating a weeks-long conspiracy that culminated in his supporters attacking the US Capitol in an attempt to keep President Joe Biden from office. The White House after the 2020 elections.
Stewart Rhodes was the first to be charged on January 6, 2021, and was convicted of the seditious conspiracy attack, the longest sentence of which was handed down for up to 100 Capitoline riots.
A danger to democracy
Another milestone in the Justice Department’s investigation on January 6 is spreading, leading to seditious conspiracy convictions against the top two far-right ruling circles that authorities say came to Vienna ready to fight to keep President Donald Trump in power at all costs. .
Before handing down the sentence, the judge told Rhode defiantly that the threats had continued in the United States, saying it was clear that Rhode was. “in this country he wants to turn democracy into violence.”
“Now let me be released, whenever it may be; Do you want to take up arms against your government?District Judge Amit Mehta said.
One of the high-profile cases brought by the Justice Department, which sought to show that the riots sparked by right-wing extremists like Oath Keepers were not spontaneous protests, but the culmination of weeks of plotting to overthrow the election victory. from Biden.
A necessary condemnation
Prosecutors sought to jail Rhodes for 25 years, accusing him of conspiring to violently disrupt the president’s campaign, including the presence of “quick reaction force” teams at a Virginia hotel to transport weapons to Washington DC if needed. Weapons were never used.
Speaking a little before the judge gave his opinion; Rhodes dismissed the accusation as political.when he said that he had entered the Capitol, and did not deny that he would do so to any one.
“I am a political prisoner and, like President Trump, my only charge is to stand up to those who are destroying our country,” Rhodes said.
In the first case since January 6, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta agreed with prosecutors to apply higher penalties for “terrorism,” arguing that oath keepers sought to influence the government through “intimidation” or coercion. In previous trials, judges have rejected the Justice Department’s request to apply the so-called “terrorism enhancement” — which can carry a longer prison sentence — but Mehta said they would agree with Rhodes’ case.
Prosecutors argued that the lengthy sentence was necessary to deter future acts of political violence. Assistant US Attorney Kathryn Rakoczy pointed out that in interviews and speeches Rhodium gave from prison, he repeated the lie that the 2020 election had been stolen and that he would steal it again in 2024. In the said days that have just passed; Rhodes was called because of a change of government.said the prosecutor.
People “from across the political spectrum” want to believe that Rakoczy is “year 6”. “Not guilty Rhodes.”
More views to come
the lawyer of the Rhodians, who appealed to his plans for condemnation, the accusers were said to be unjust, in order to “face” Rhodes 6 Jan. Attorney Phillip Linder told the judge that Rhode could have brought many more Sworn Guardsmen to the Capitol “if he really wanted to” to disrupt the Electoral College’s certification of congressional votes.
“If you want to put a face on 6-J (January 6), put it on Trump, on the center right, on the politicians, on all the people who played that narrative,” said Linder.
Another Oath Keeper was sentenced next to Rhodes in November – Florida Chapter Leader Kelly Meggs is scheduled to receive his sentence later this Thursday.
Two other members of the extremist group, cleared of sedition and convicted of other crimes, were sentenced on Friday. And four other members of the most seditious conspiracy convicted in a second trial in January will be sentenced next week.
Consciousness has been a blow to the Oath Keepers since Rhodes was founded in 2009 and has become one of the largest anti-government militias by far. The group, which includes current and former members of the military and police, promotes the idea that the federal government is out to rob citizens of their civil liberties and provide supporters of tyranny.
They were ready for a “civil war”.
Rodi’s decision may anticipate what the indictment will ask the former national president of the Proud Boy, Enrique Tarrio, who was convicted this month of seditious conspiracy with other leaders of his far-right group for which, according to the indictment; a separate plan was to stop the transfer of presidential power. Proud Boys will be sentenced in August and September.
Rhodes, 58, and another member of the Oath of Councilors, said there was never any plan to attack the Capitol or Congress to certify Biden’s victory. He tried to use the defense that none of the Oath’s instructions contained an explicit plan to attack the Capitol. But prosecutors said the group saw an opportunity to escalate the ban and were praying for action when the mob began attacking the building.
Letters, documents and other evidence brought forward in the trial show that Rhodes and his supporters were increasingly angry after the 2020 election at the prospect of a Biden presidency, which they saw as a threat to their country and their way of life. In an encrypted chat two days after the election, Rhodes told his supporters They prepare their “mind, body and spirit” for “civil war”.
In a conference call days later, Rhodes urged his supporters to let Trump know that he is willing to die for his country. An oath keeper who was listening in was so frightened that he began calling the memo and contacted the FBI, telling jurors that “We have war against the United States government.”
Another man testified that, after the riots, Rhodes advised him to persuade Trump to urge the president to deliver a message not to fight for power. The insider — who told jurors he had a way of getting both things to the president — took notes on his conversation with Rhodes and went to the FBI for delivering the message to Trump. Rhodes told the man at that meeting that the oath-keepers “must have guns” on January 6.
Before Thursday’s verdict, the longest sentence in more than 1,000 Capitol Hill cases was for a 14-year-old man with a long infamous who attacked police officers with pepper spray and a Capitol chair. A little more than 500 defendants were convicted, half of whom were sentenced to prison, the rest to sentences such as probation or house arrest.
