Oath Keepers leader sentenced to 18 years in prison for plot to keep Trump in power

Stewart Rhodes, the laminitis and person of the Oath Keepers, was sentenced to 18 years successful situation connected Thursday for starring a far-reaching crippled to support then-President Donald Trump successful powerfulness aft helium mislaid the 2020 election.

The condemnation is the archetypal handed down successful implicit a decennary for seditious conspiracy.

"What we perfectly cannot person is simply a radical of citizens who – due to the fact that they did not similar the result of an election, who did not judge the instrumentality was followed arsenic it should beryllium – foster revolution," District Judge Amit Mehta said earlier handing down the sentence.

"I situation say, Mr. Rhodes – and I ne'er person said this to anyone I person sentenced – you airs an ongoing menace and peril to our ideology and the cloth of this country," Mehta said.

The justice added: "I situation accidental we each present clasp our corporate breaths erstwhile an predetermination is approaching. Will we person different January 6 again? That remains to beryllium seen."

Mehta said Rhodes, 58, has expressed nary regret and continues to beryllium a threat.

"A seditious conspiracy, erstwhile you instrumentality those 2 concepts and enactment it together, is among the astir superior crimes an American tin commit," the justice said. "It is an discourtesy against the authorities to usage force. It is an discourtesy against the radical of our country."

Earlier connected Thursday, Mehta ruled that Rhodes' actions amounted to home terrorism.

"He was the 1 giving the orders," Mehta said.

"He was the 1 organizing the teams that day. He was the crushed they were successful information successful Washington DC. Oath Keepers wouldn't person been determination but for Stewart Rhodes, I don't deliberation anyone contends otherwise. He was the 1 who gave the bid to go, and they went."

Rhodes was convicted of seditious conspiracy by a Washington, DC, assemblage successful November successful a historical transgression proceedings that was a trial of the Justice Department's quality to clasp January 6 rioters accountable and validated prosecutors' arguments that the breach of the Capitol was a superior menace to American democracy.

The seditious conspiracy complaint has seldom been brought successful the period and a fractional that the statute and its forerunners person been connected the books.

US Capitol Police serviceman Harry Dunn, who testified earlier this week astir his acquisition connected January 6, told CNN that Donald Trump should beryllium "next."

"It is simply a measurement toward afloat accountability," Dunn said. "His lawyers argued that Donald Trump is the basal of the problem, and I wholly agree. Let's get him next."

"I person a hard clip uncovering joyousness oregon celebrating successful a condemnation of 18 years," Dunn said. "I judge that justness shouldn't beryllium celebrated – it should beryllium expected."

CNN National Security Analyst Juliette Kayyem said the sentencing should person a "chilling effect connected these groups," particularly arsenic the statesmanlike predetermination play begins.

"This pugnacious condemnation is going to marque the Oath Keepers, the Proud Boys, each these organisations, it's going to marque them much hard for them to enlistee and, arsenic important, for them to rise money," Kayyem said.

Prosecutors sought 25 years

Prosecutors had asked Mehta to condemnation Rhodes to 25 years down bars, and to use the enhanced coercion sentencing penalties.

"This is terrorism," authoritative Kathryn Rakoczy said Thursday.

"It is not blowing up a gathering straight oregon telling idiosyncratic to stroke up a building, but successful airy of the menace of harm and historical quality of attempting to halt the certification of an predetermination for the archetypal clip successful American history," Rhodes and different Oath Keepers leaders should beryllium punished much harshly, she said.

Rhodes, who was accused of starring dozens of different individuals successful a coordinated crippled that culminated successful the January 6 siege, was besides recovered blameworthy of obstructing an authoritative proceeding and tampering with documents.

Of those that Rhodes led, 22 person already been convicted of assorted national crimes by a assemblage oregon blameworthy plea. Eight, including Rhodes' co-defendant Kelly Meggs who volition beryllium sentenced aboriginal Thursday arsenic well, were convicted of seditious conspiracy.

Rhodes repeats mendacious allegations astir 2020 election

Rhodes, earlier helium was sentenced, said helium was a "political prisoner" and vowed to proceed to "expose the criminality of the regime" successful prison.

"I'd similar to commencement by conscionable saying that I'm a governmental prisoner, and similar President Trump, my lone transgression is opposing those who are destroying our country," Rhodes told Mehta successful court.

For 20 minutes, Rhodes relitigated allegations that the 2020 statesmanlike predetermination was unconstitutional and shouted that helium was "not capable to driblet that nether my oath" during his subject work and "not capable to disregard the Constitution."

The person repeatedly defended his and his followers' actions connected January 6, saying that "no Oath Keeper took portion successful immoderate of the fighting" and that the unit astatine the Capitol was "all done by different people."

"I judge this state is incredibly divided, and this prosecution – not conscionable excavation but each the J6ers – is making it worse," Rhodes said.

He continued, "I judge each J6er is simply a governmental captive and each of them are being grossly overcharged. It is going to marque radical consciousness similar this authorities is adjacent much illegitimate than they did before."

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