The founder of the militia “Oath Keepers” was convicted of “incitement to hatred”. This verdict is the highest so far in connection with this attack.
By Le Figaro with AFP
Published 5/25/2023 at 7:16 p.m., updated 5/25/2023 at 7:40 p.m.
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Oath Keepers militia founder Stewart Rhodes at a rally hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump in Minneapolis, U.S. October 10, 2019. JIM URQUHART/ Portal
One of America’s far-right leaders, Stewart Rhodes, was sentenced Thursday to 18 years in prison for “seditious hatred,” the longest sentence yet in connection with the Capitol attack.
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 said in the sentence.
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Acts of a “terrorist” nature
Federal Judge Amit Mehta put him in his place: “You are NOT a political prisoner, Stewart Rhodes,” he said. “You are here because twelve jurors (…) found you guilty of sedition,” “one of the most serious crimes an American can commit.”
This leader, who claims to have planned the use of force against the government, is sentenced to 20 years in prison. But prosecutors asked for 25 years in prison for Stewart Rhodes, citing a process that allows for increased penalties for acts of a “terrorist” nature.
Without fully following them, Judge Mehta confirmed her analysis on this point. “Acts of intimidation or coercion aimed at incriminating the government” fall into this category, he said. He also attributed the severity of the sentence to the leadership of Stewart Rhodes, a 58-year-old former soldier, 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 seat of Congress 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.
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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 Donald Trump’s defeat. 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.”
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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, will be sentenced this afternoon.
Fight against the “oppressive” state
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.