The founder of the extremist right-wing US militia Oath Keepers, Stewart Rhodes, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. A federal judge in the capital Washington condemned the 57-year-old man to “seditious conspiracy” On thursday. It is the highest prison sentence to date in connection with the violent attack on the US Congress two months after the November 2020 presidential election.
Prosecutors have asked for 25 years in prison for Rhodes, who was found guilty last November. Among other things, she had requested that “terrorist behavior” be added as an aggravating factor. Judge Amit Mehta accepted the request, but his sentence remained below the prosecutor’s request.
The judge, however, was tough on Rhodes. “They represent an ongoing threat and danger to our country,” he told the convict. “They’re smart, charismatic and attractive, and frankly, that makes them dangerous.”
The crime of “seditious conspiracy”, which includes attempts to overthrow the United States government, is rarely used in the United States. Prosecutors charged Rhodes and four other Oath Keepers defendants at the trial with planning an “armed rebellion” against the United States government. Thus, the extremists wanted to prevent the transfer of power from President Donald Trump to his successor Joe Biden.
Anti-government and violent
Members of the Oath Keepers, classified as anti-government and violent, along with hundreds of other hardcore Trump supporters, stormed the Capitol in Washington when Biden’s victory in the presidential election would finally be confirmed there.
According to the indictment, former soldier Rhodes, known for his black eyepatch, and the other accused Oath Keepers purchased weapons and combat equipment and stored them in a hotel near the capital. During the storming of the Capitol, Rhodes appeared “like a general on the battlefield”, even though he himself did not enter the parliament building.
Rhodes denied planning an attack on the Capitol. According to him, he and his militia just wanted to ensure security at a Trump rally in Washington on the day in question.
Call from Donald Trump
After the presidential election, Trump refused to acknowledge his defeat and raised accusations of voter fraud that were often refuted. At noon on January 6, 2021, the Republican called on his supporters to march to the Capitol and fight “whatever the hell”. The ensuing attack on the Capitol, which left five dead, caused horror around the world and is considered a dark day in the history of American democracy.
To date, authorities have arrested more than 1,000 suspects in connection with the Capitol storm. Several Oath Keepers and members of the Proud Boys militia, which was also far-right, were found guilty of “seditious conspiracy”.
Rhodes described himself as a “political prisoner” at Thursday’s sentencing hearing. “My only crime is to oppose the destruction of our country,” said the 57-year-old. Judge Mehta strongly disagreed: “You are not a political prisoner, Mr. Rhodes.” The insurgent conspiracy is “one of the most serious crimes an American can commit”.
The former soldier Rhodes, who graduated in law from the elite American university Yale, founded the Oath Keepers in 2009. In particular, the militia recruits former or current police officers and soldiers and wants to defend itself against an alleged tyranny of the US government. As with other extremist groups, there is widespread sympathy for Trump among the Oath Keepers.
Trump, who has already entered the 2024 presidential race, has yet to be prosecuted by the US judiciary for invading the Capitol. A Justice Department-appointed special prosecutor is looking into possible criminal liability for the 76-year-old Republican. (apf)