One of America’s far-right leaders, Stewart Rhodes, was sentenced Thursday to 18 years in prison for “sedition,” the highest sentence to date in connection with the attack on the Capitol that rocked the United States on January 6, 2021.
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The founder of the militia “Oath Keepers” took a defiant stance to the end: “I am a political prisoner”, “my only crime is to oppose those who are destroying our country,” he told court in Washington.
Federal Judge Amit Mehta put him in his place: “You are NOT a political prisoner, Mr. Rhodes,” he said. “You are here because twelve jurors (…) found you guilty of sedition,” “one of the most serious crimes an American can commit.”
He also attributed the severity of the sentence to the leadership of Stewart Rhodes, a 58-year-old former soldier, in the attack on Congressional Headquarters and his lack of remorse. “They pose an ongoing threat and danger to the country,” the judge affirmed.
On January 6, 2021, thousands of Donald Trump supporters had sowed chaos and violence in the temple of American democracy when elected officials confirmed the victory of his rival Joe Biden in the presidential election.
The extensive investigations that followed led to the arrest of more than 1,000 people. Almost 300 were sentenced to prison terms, the maximum sentence so far being 14 years.
“Generally”
But only 10 activists from far-right groups – six members of the “Oath Keepers” and four “Proud Boys” – were found guilty of “incitement to hatred” after three separate trials in Washington.
After weeks of hearings, jurors felt they had prepared to stockpile guns and undergo military training in the Capitol to prevent the formalization of Joe Biden’s victory.
On D-Day, Stewart Rhodes, known for his black eye patch and fiery diatribes, remained outside the Capitol but, according to the indictment, he guided his troops by radio “like a general on the battlefield.”
At his trial, the tribune denied “planning” the attack, claiming that the Oath Keepers’ “mission” was to provide security for the demonstration Donald Trump had called to denounce alleged “electoral fraud.”
He claimed to have been presented with a fait accompli and found it “stupid” that Kelly Meggs, head of the Florida section of the Oath Keepers, had entered the Capitol. “It opened the door to our political persecution,” he said.
Kelly Meggs, also convicted of sedition, was subsequently sentenced to 12 years in prison.
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“Enjoy the Chaos”
Stewart Rhodes, a former soldier and law graduate from Yale University, founded the Oath Keepers in 2009 and recruited former soldiers or police officers initially to fight against the state, which was perceived as “oppressive”.
Like other radical groups, this militia was seduced by Donald Trump’s anti-elite rhetoric and, against all evidence, wholeheartedly endorsed the Republican’s allegations of voter fraud.
In court documents, Stewart Rhodes’ lawyers have attempted to portray them as “philanthropists” to be deployed to prevent riots, after natural disasters, or during demonstrations against police violence.
“For Rhodes, the introduction of the Oath Keepers in crisis situations was not intended to help but to contribute to and benefit from the chaos,” prosecutors countered.
Judge Mehta also ruled that the presence of the leader of the Oath Keepers was generally not good news due to his “appetite for violence”. “You are intelligent, charismatic and articulate. It makes you dangerous,” he told her.