Rhodes was accused along with four co-defendants of leading an “armed rebellion” against the US government, aiming to use violence to prevent a democratic transfer of power after the 2020 presidential election.
Earlier this year, the US Justice Department filed charges against Rhodes and other participants in the Capitol attack. Among other things, they planned to travel to Washington in January 2021 and arranged weapons, paramilitary equipment and combat techniques training in advance, he said.
Rhodes as “General on the battlefield”
In particular, former soldier Rhodes, who holds a law degree from the US elite Yale University, and the other accused “Oath Keepers” bought weapons and combat equipment and stored them in a nearby hotel to the capital.
Rhodes, known for his black eye patch, acted “like a general on the battlefield” during the Capitol storming, prosecutor Jeffrey Nestler said during the trial that began in late September. Several of the defendants had entered the Capitol themselves, while others had taken care of further coordination outside the congressional venue and partly outside the city.
“Oath Keepers”
Former soldier Stewart Rhodes founded the Oath Keepers in 2009 with the goal of “defending the Constitution against enemies”. In particular, the militia recruits former and current policemen and soldiers. It is classified as far-right, anti-government and violent.
Accused: “No plan” for the attack on the Capitol
Rhodes claimed during the trial that he had no plans to attack the United States Capitol. On the day in question, he and his militia only wanted to ensure security during a rally by President Donald Trump in Washington.
In addition to the 57-year-old from the US state of Texas, a prominent member of the “Oath Keepers” from Florida was also found guilty of seditious conspiracy. Three other defendants were not convicted of particularly explosive political acts, but of other crimes such as obstruction of official proceedings.
Possible maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison
The sentences for Rhodes and the other convicts will be decided at a later date, a date not yet set. The maximum penalty for seditious conspiracy is up to 20 years in prison. The crime is not easy to prove.
To do so, the prosecution must prove that two or more people conspired to overthrow the United States government or to use force to challenge its authority. An example of this is the sentence issued in the 1990s against the mastermind of the first attack on the World Trade Center in New York in 1993.
USA: Far-right militia leader convicted
The leader of the far-right “Oath Keepers” militia, Stewart Rhodes, has been sentenced nearly two years after the storming of the US Capitol. After several days of deliberations in the US capital Washington, a jury found Rhodes guilty, among other charges, of seditious conspiracy, a crime that has only very rarely been recognized in the country’s judicial history. Rhodes’ lawyers said they were “grateful for the acquittals” Rhodes received on some counts, but “disappointed by the guilty verdict”.
The attackers should be held “accountable”.
“The Department of Justice is determined to hold accountable those criminally responsible for the attack on our democracy on January 6, 2021,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said after the decision.
Rhodes’ lawyers, however, reacted with disappointment at the verdict. “We believe we have presented a case which has demonstrated through evidence and testimony that Mr. Rhodes did not commit the crime of seditious conspiracy,” said one of his attorneys. “No evidence has been presented to indicate that there was a plan to attack the Capitol.”
Five dead
Members of the “Oath Keepers” along with hundreds of other radical supporters of the president-elect stormed the Capitol as Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in the November 2020 presidential election was finally to be confirmed there.
Five people were killed in the riots. The attack on the heart of US democracy has shaken the country. Trump had previously cheered on his supporters in a speech. The attack caused worldwide horror and is considered a black day in the history of US democracy.
About 900 arrests
About 900 attackers were arrested in the following weeks and months. Sanctions have already been imposed in hundreds of cases, including for assaults on police officers. The trial of the Keepers of the Oath was the first to be charged with seditious conspiracy in connection with the attack on the Capitol.
An acquittal would have been a serious setback for the prosecutor’s office, especially as the US judiciary also wants to try members of another extremist group, the “Proud Boys”, for seditious conspiracy.
Oath Keepers leader sentenced
The leader of the right-wing extremist group “Oath Keepers” was sentenced almost two years after the storming of the US Capitol. Stewart Rhodes faces up to 20 years in prison for seditious conspiracy.
Investigations against Trump
Trump, who has already entered the 2024 presidential race, has not yet been prosecuted by the US judiciary for storming the Capitol. But that could change: Attorney General Garland appointed Attorney Jack Smith a week and a half ago as special counsel. Among other things, Smith will examine Trump’s role in the storming of the Capitol. He will also be responsible for investigating confidential documents confiscated from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home.
