Oath Keepers Founder Denies Plan to Storm Capitol in Conspiracy Trial – National

Stewart Rose, founder of the U.S. far-right group Orth Keepers Group, told jurors Monday that he never ordered members to storm the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. said. Enter the building.

A Yale-educated former U.S. Army Paratrooper, Rhodes, along with fellow Oathkeepers Thomas Caldwell, Kenneth Harrelson, Kelly Meggs, and Jessica Watkins, endorsed then-President Donald Trump. is on trial on multiple charges related to attacks in the United States by The National Diet Building, where members of parliament and staff risked their lives to escape.

On the second day of testimony on the stand in his own defense, Rhodes called the events of January 6 “horrifying” and said that anyone who tried to attack a police officer that day “should be prosecuted.” It is.”

“I didn’t want to involve them in nonsense with the Trump supporters around the Capitol. I wanted to keep them out of it. The Idle Hand is the devil’s playground,” Rhodes said. I got

Five Oathkeeper associates face up to 20 years in prison for felonies, including sedition conspiracy.

The government claims the Oath Keepers are using force to stop Congress from proving President Joe Biden’s election victory, and defendants Meggs, Watkins and Harrelson enter the building wearing tactical gear.

Prosecutors also allege that Oath Keepers posted a “rapid response force” at a nearby Virginia hotel, which could carry a fleet of firearms that could be transported across the river to the capital if needed. The plan involved stockpiling.

trendy now

• Judge rules Ford and Jones are exempt from testifying in emergency investigation

• Canada faces ‘aggressive game’ from China, among other interference reports: Trudeau

Rhodes said on Jan. 6 that Meggs was to oversee a small team of Oath Keepers tasked with providing safety to the entourage of Stop the Steel pro-Trump activist Ali Alexander. He testified that

But Rhodes said he was unable to pinpoint Meggs’ location or hear the crowd after he contacted him by cell phone.

Rhodes said it wasn’t until later in the day that he learned that Meggs had actually broken into the building.

“Was there a plan to come in and interfere with the election?” Rose’s attorney Philip Linder asked.

“No, never,” Rhodes replied.

When Rinder asked Rhodes how he reacted to the news that Megs had broken into the Capitol, Rhodes recalled telling him:

Prosecutors have attempted to portray Rhodes as a radical far-right figure who has repeatedly voiced support for the use of force against the government, including on January 6.

During cross-examination Monday, prosecutor Kathryn Lacozy attempted to poke holes in Rose’s testimony, pointing to his inflammatory statements that could be seen as contradictory.

Since its inception, Oathkeepers has had a “strong tone against the government, right?” she asked.

“That’s not right,” said Rhodes.

(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Josie Kao)