Oath Keepers founder sentenced to 18 years for storming the Capitol

The founder of the right-wing extremist US militia Oath Keepers, Stewart Rhodes, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021. A federal judge in the capital Washington sentenced the 57-year-old 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 had 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.

“Persistent threat to our country”

The judge, however, was harsh on Rhodes. “They pose an ongoing threat and danger to our country,” he said to the convict. “They’re smart, charismatic and compelling, and frankly that makes them dangerous.”

The “seditious conspiracy” offense, which includes attempts to overthrow the US government, is rarely used in the United States. Prosecutors had accused Rhodes and four other accused Oath Keepers in the trial of planning an “armed rebellion” against the US government. Accordingly, the extremists wanted to prevent the transfer of power from President Donald Trump to his successor Joe Biden.

Members of the Oath Keepers, classified as anti-government and violent, along with hundreds of other radical Trump supporters, stormed the Capitol in Washington when Biden’s victory in the presidential election was to be finally confirmed there.

According to the indictment, ex-soldier Rhodes, known for his black eye patch, and the other accused Oath Keepers had bought weapons and combat gear and stored them in a hotel near the capital. During the storming of the Capitol, Rhodes appeared “like a general on the battlefield”, even if he did not enter the parliament building himself.

Attack on Capitol not planned

Rhodes has denied planning an attack on the Capitol. According to him, he and his militia only wanted to ensure security at a Trump rally in Washington on the day in question.

After the presidential election, Trump refused to acknowledge his defeat and raised allegations of electoral fraud that have often been 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 black day in the history of US democracy.

To date, authorities have arrested more than a thousand 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”.

“One of the most serious crimes”

Rhodes described himself as a “political prisoner” at the sentencing hearing on Thursday. “My only crime is to oppose the destruction of our country,” said the 57-year-old. Judge Mehta firmly disagreed: “You are not a political prisoner, Mr. Rhodes.” Insurgent conspiracy is “one of the most serious crimes an American can commit.”

The ex-soldier Rhodes, a law graduate from the US elite 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 by 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 not yet been prosecuted by the US judiciary for storming the Capitol. A special prosecutor appointed by the Justice Department is examining a possible criminal liability of the 76-year-old Republican.