The founder of the far-right group Oath Keepers, Stewart Rhodes, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for leading the conspiracy to try to keep the former president of the United States. donald trump in the power.
This is the strongest sentence handed down so far against a defendant for the attack on January 6, 2021 against the United States Capitol. Before reading the sentence, District Judge Amit Mehta stressed that “absolutely” it is not possible to allow “a group of citizens, who just because they did not like the result of the elections or believe that the law was complied with as ought, foment a revolution”. “That’s what you did,” she stated.
On November 29, Rhodes was convicted by a federal jury of conspiracy to commit sedition in Washington. During the assault on the Capitol, which left five dead and more than 140 agents injured, Rhodes remained outside the building supervising the operation in which followers of former President Donald Trump (2017-2021) broke into the headquarters of Congress while the two were meeting. cameras to certify Joe Biden’s electoral victory.
Rhodes’s defense had tried to convince the jury that armed groups of Oath Keepers that had been stationed in hotels around the US capital had no intention of preventing the confirmation of Joe Biden, but to “react” in case Trump asked them to intervene. The Oath Keepers are a loosely organized organization linked to citizen militias that, while accepting anyone as a member, focus their recruitment efforts on ex-military, police and first responders.
CNN recalled Thursday that 22 people who were part of Rhodes’ team have already been convicted of various federal crimes by a jury or after pleading guilty. Eight, including Rhodes’ co-defendant, Kelly Meggs, were similarly convicted of “seditious conspiracy.” Meggs led a group of 14 people into the Capitol.
Trump already has a rival for the primaries
The governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, made official his candidacy for the White House after having appeared in the Republican Party primaries before the Federal Electoral Commission. To date, his former mentor, former President Donald Trump (2017-2021), is the favorite.
Source-larepublica.pe