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Tuesday 4 OcTOber 2022
Oath Keepers trial: Jan. 6 was ‘rebellion,’ prosecutor says

From Front The government’s first wit-
ness was a FBI agent, who
By ALANNA DURKIN RICH- responded on Jan. 6 to
ER, MICHAEL KUNZELMAN help rescue senators. He
and LINDSAY WHITEHURST described lawmakers cry-
Associated Press ing, broken doors and win-
WASHINGTON (AP) — The dows and a scene that
founder of the Oath Keep- “looked like a bomb had
ers extremist group and gone off.”
four associates planned an Defense lawyers say pros-
“armed rebellion” to keep ecutors have ripped the
President Donald Trump in Oath Keepers’ messages
power, a federal prosecu- out of context to paint
tor contended Monday as them unfairly. The Oath
the most serious case yet Keepers came to Wash-
went to trial in the Jan. 6, ington to provide security
2021, attack on the U.S. at events for figures such
Capitol. Stewart Rhodes as Trump ally Roger Stone
and his band of extremists before the president’s big
were prepared to go to war outdoor rally behind the
to stop Joe Biden from be- White House, defense law-
coming president, Assistant yers said. Rhodes’ attorney
U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Nestler described the group as
told jurors. The group cel- Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, center, speaks during a rally outside the White a “peacekeeping” force
ebrated the Capitol attack House in Washington, June 25, 2017. Associated Press and called his client an
as a victory in that fight and “extremely patriotic” man
continued their plot even day. Stewart Rhodes did overturn Biden’s victory his troops on a battlefield,” who “loves this country.”
after Biden’s electoral vic- not have any violent in- right after the election, Nestler said. After the at- Rhodes’ attorneys plan
tory was certified, Nestler tent that day,” Rhodes’ at- Nestler said. In November tack, the elated Oath to argue that Rhodes be-
alleged. torney, Phillip Linder, said. 2020, Rhodes sent his fol- Keepers went to a Virginia lieved Trump was going to
“Their goal was to stop, “The story the government lowers a step-by-step plan restaurant to celebrate going to invoke the Insur-
by whatever means nec- is trying to tell you today is for stopping the transfer of their victory, the prosecu- rection Act and call up a
essary, the lawful transfer completely wrong.” power based on a popular tor said. They planned to militia, which Rhodes had
of presidential power, in- On trial with Rhodes, of uprising that brought down continue “that war,” but been calling on him to do
cluding by taking up arms Granbury, Texas, are Kelly Yugoslavia’s president “thankfully their plans were to stop Biden from becom-
against the United States Meggs, leader of the Flor- two decades earlier. As foiled,” Nestler said. ing president. Rhodes’
government,” the prosecu- ida chapter of the Oath December approached, In the days between the lawyers have said he was
tor said during his opening Keepers; Kenneth Harrel- Rhodes’ rhetoric became riot and Biden’s inaugura- merely lobbying the presi-
statement. “They concoct- son, another Florida Oath increasingly violent and tion, Rhodes spent more dent to invoke a U.S. law.
ed a plan for armed rebel- Keeper; Thomas Caldwell, desperate, Nestler said. than $17,000 on firearm Prosecutors say it’s clear
lion to shatter a bedrock of a retired U.S. Navy intelli- In messages and com- parts, ammunition and oth- the Oath Keepers were
American democracy.” gence officer from Virginia, ments read to the jury, the er items, prosecutors say. going to act regardless of
The five defendants are the and Jessica Watkins, who Oath Keepers repeatedly About a week after the in- what Trump did. Nestler
first Jan. 6 defendants to led an Ohio militia group. warned of violence if Biden surrection, Rhodes was se- told jurors that Rhodes, a
stand trial on the charge They face several other were to become president. cretly recorded saying that Yale Law School graduate,
of seditious conspiracy, a charges as well. During a December inter- his “only regret is that they was only using the Insurrec-
rare Civil War-era charge They are among roughly view, Rhodes called sena- should have brought rifles,” tion Act as “legal cover.”
that calls for up to 20 years 900 people who have been tors “traitors” and warned Nestler said. In one message, Rhodes
behind bars. The stakes are charged in the attack, that the Oath Keepers Prosecutors showed jurors wrote in December 2020
high for the Justice Depart- which temporarily halted would have to “overthrow, a slew of videos, including that Trump “needs to know
ment, which last secured a the certification of Biden’s abort or abolish Congress.” showing Meggs, Harrelson that if he fails to act, then
seditious conspiracy con- electoral victory, sent law- He described Jan. 6 as a and others firing AR-15 style we will.”
viction at trial nearly 30 makers running for cover “hard constitutional dead- rifles at targets at a range. An attorney for Caldwell
years ago, and intends to and left dozens of police line” for stopping the trans- Meggs sent the video, set said his client is a disabled
try two more groups on the officers injured. fer of power. to rock music, to a group veteran who didn’t even
charge later this year. In the Oath Keepers case, The Oath Keepers orga- on Jan. 5 and declared: know of the Oath Keep-
Defense attorneys ac- prosecutors will try to prove nized training, including “We are ready!” the pros- ers until November 2020.
cused prosecutors of cher- that their actions were not one session on “uncon- ecutor said. The defense lawyer, Da-
ry-picking evidence from a spontaneous outpouring ventional warfare.” Before Among those expected to vid Fischer, called Jan. 6 a
messages and videos and of election-fueled rage but coming to Washington, testify during the trial, which “black eye” for the coun-
said the government has part of a detailed, drawn- they set up “quick reaction will last several weeks, are try, but said Caldwell mere-
no evidence there ever out plot to stop Biden from force” teams with “weap- three Oath Keepers who ly came to Washington “on
was any plan to attack the entering the White House. ons of war” stashed at a have pleaded guilty to a date with his wife” and
Capitol. Rhodes’ attorney The Oath Keepers “were Virginia hotel so they could seditious conspiracy and wasn’t planning to go to
said his client will take the prepared in November, get them into the capital are cooperating with pros- the Capitol until Trump’s
stand and show that the they were prepared in De- quickly if necessary, the ecutors in hopes of getting speech on the Ellipse be-
Oath Keepers had merely cember and when the op- prosecutor said. lighter sentences. They in- fore the riot.
been preparing for orders portunity finally presented As Oath Keepers stormed clude a man who says that “Mr. Caldwell couldn’t
they expected from Trump itself on Jan 6, 2021, they the Capitol in helmets and after arriving in Washington, storm his way out of a pa-
but never came. sprang into action,” Nestler other battle gear, Rhodes Meggs told him that anoth- per bag,” Fischer said. “I
“Stewart Rhodes meant no said. remained on the outside, er Florida Oath Keeper had came here to clear his
harm to the Capitol that Rhodes began plotting to like “a general surveying brought explosives in his RV. name.”q