The prosecution used the words of Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and four other members against them during closing arguments in their January 6-linked seditious conspiracy trial.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Rakoczy said Rhodes and the other defendants “had repeatedly called for the violent overthrow of the United States government, and they followed these words with action” on January 6, 2021 by taking part in the insurrection on the U.S. Capitol—with Rhodes at the helm—in an attempt to overturn the 2020 Presidential election.
The prosecutors presented evidence showing the defendants discussing the possible use of violence in the run-up to January 6 in an attempt to keep Joe Biden out of the White House. They also showed how the Oath Keepers had stashed a massive cache of weapons, referred to as a “quick reaction force,” at a Virginia hotel.
On January 6, Oath Keepers wearing battle gear could be seen shoving through the mob into the Capitol while Rhodes remained outside—like “a general surveying his troops on a battlefield,” said one prosecutor.
The defense’s closing arguments are set for Monday. The Oath Keepers’ attorneys have focused throughout the trial on the prosecution’s lack of evidence that the group had an explicit attack plan before January 6.
Rhodes, who is from Texas, testified that he had only traveled to Washington to provide security for high-profile conservatives like Roger Stone.
