Oath Keepers Founder Convicted Of Seditious Conspiracy

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Facts

  • On Tuesday, Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes was found guilty of seditious conspiracy and other charges related to an alleged plot to conduct violence at the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
  • Fellow Oath Keeper Kelly Meggs was also found guilty of seditious conspiracy, while three other co-defendants – Jessica Watkins, Thomas Caldwell, and Ken Harrelson – were acquitted but found guilty of other charges, including obstruction of an official proceeding.
  • The Dept. of Justice (DOJ) alleges that Rhodes organized training for fellow rioters and plotted to bring ammunition to Washington. Testimony told of Rhodes’ call for the Oath Keepers to defend former Pres. Donald Trump, even if it took “bloody” civil war.
  • Meanwhile, Rhodes testified that he didn’t order anyone to enter the Capitol, and he thought it was “stupid” to go inside.
  • Rhodes and his co-defendants were the first to face trial and be convicted of conspiracy charges — which carry a maximum of 20 years in prison — related to the Jan. 6 riots. Rhodes reportedly plans to appeal.
  • Next month, Enrique Tarrio, leader of the far-right group the Proud Boys, and four other members will face trial on several charges related to the Jan. 6 riots, including seditious conspiracy.

Sources: Washington Post, USA Today, New York Post, and Daily Caller.

Narratives

  • Republican narrative, as provided by Washington Examiner. The Dept. of Justice has unsurprisingly painted a completely distorted picture of events. If heated, hyperbolic rhetoric amounts to sedition, most of modern America would find themselves charged. Discourse surrounding revolution is deep-rooted in the country's history and culture, and cherry-picking such sentences to claim that a major conspiracy was afoot shouldn't be taken seriously.
  • Democratic narrative, as provided by CNN. What happened at the US Capitol went well beyond the realm of political protest gone bad and instead was a coordinated violent attack that the Oath Keepers played a role in planning. The DOJ’s case and the jury’s verdict show that the government can and will hold the rioters accountable and reinforces the importance of the Jan. 6 House Committee's work.