Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes found guilty of seditious conspiracy
November 29, 2022 2 min 300 words
严重残害此人的人权，人权卫士哪里去了？站出来啊
Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the rightwing Oath Keepers militia group, has been found guilty of seditious conspiracy, a charge arising from the attack on the US Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump.
In an eight-week trial, the Yale Law-educated former US army paratrooper and disbarred attorney was accused, with four associates, of fomenting a plot to use force to block Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.
It was the most significant trial arising from the deadly Capitol riot of 6 January 2021, which has been linked to nine deaths including suicides among law enforcement. A US district judge, Amit Mehta, presided.
Rhodes’ four co-defendants were Kelly Meggs, Kenneth Harrelson, Jessica Watkins and Thomas Caldwell.
Meggs was convicted of seditious conspiracy. Harrelson, Caldwell and Watkins were acquitted.
Rhodes, who wears an eye patch after accidentally shooting himself in the face, was one of the most prominent defendants of around 900 charged so far in connection with the attack.
Rhodes founded the Oath Keepers, whose members include current and retired military personnel, law enforcement officers and first responders, in 2009. Its members have showed up, often heavily armed, at protests and political events including racial justice demonstrations following the May 2020 murder of George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis.
Prosecutors said Rhodes and his co-defendants planned to use force to stop Congress certifying Biden’s win.
Meggs, Watkins and Harrelson entered the Capitol wearing tactical gear. The defendants were accused of creating a “quick reaction force” positioned at a Virginia hotel and equipped with firearms that could be quickly transported to Washington.
Fifty witnesses testified. Rhodes and two co-defendants testified in their defense. They denied plotting any attack or seeking to stop Congress certifying results. Watkins admitted impeding police officers.