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As Prosecutors Rest, Oath Keepers Founder to Testify

Oath Keepers
Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes

After five weeks of testimony, federal prosecutors have rested their case against Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and four of his associates. The government claimed that these individuals orchestrated a plot to deny the transfer of power from then-president Trump to Joe Biden on January 6.

Oath Keepers was founded in 2009 by Rhodes, a Yale Law School graduate, a former Congressional staffer, and a former military paratrooper.

The group has been labeled as a “far-right,” “anti-government militia” due to their opposition to ANTIFA and Black Lives Matter, perceived unconstitutional actions by the government, and well as their support for Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis, who refused to issue a same-sex marriage license.

Prosecutors claimed that Rhodes and other members of the Oath Keepers organization discussed at length the need to prevent Joe Biden from assuming power and even the prospect of using violence if necessary.

According to footage shared by prosecutors, the group allegedly stashed weapons at a nearby Virginia hotel for a “quick reaction force” if necessary.

“Their goal was to stop, by whatever means necessary, the lawful transfer of presidential power, including by taking up arms against the United States government,” a prosecutor said during opening remarks. “They concocted a plan for an armed rebellion to shatter a bedrock of American democracy.”

The charges — seditious conspiracy — brought against Rhodes and his fellow Oath Keepers are rarely seen and date back to the Civil War. If convicted, they could see up to 20 years behind bars in a federal penitentiary.

The prosecution’s case hinges on convincing the jury that the defendants’ actions that day were not spontaneous but were deliberately planned and meticulously executed with a clear intent to disrupt our system of government from operating as intended.

The defense team repeatedly sought to show throughout the cross-examination of government witnesses that there was no evidence of an explicit plan of action on January 6 by Rhodes and other Oath Keepers.

James Lee Bright, a member of the defense team, asked an FBI agent who had taken the stand as a government witness if he had seen any direct orders from Rhodes or others to breach the Capitol.

“No, sir,” the agent responded.

The case will now turn to the defense team with a plan to put the Granbury-native Rhodes on the witness stand.

“There’s always a risk and something to lose when you take the stand,” said Jeffrey Jacobovitz, a criminal defense attorney who is not working on Rhodes’ case.

Jacobovitz went on to say that “if you feel like there’s no alternative, that the government has presented an air-tight case or a very strong case, and you don’t have other witnesses that would be helpful, then you have to.”

As the trial began last month, Rhodes spoke on a podcast about his experience since January 6 and the prospect of losing his trial.

“Americans need to lose their fear of being indicted or put in prison. When you have a dictatorship, you’re going to have dissidents,” Rhodes said. “Just like Nelson Mandela was willing to go to jail for life.”

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