Restriction on Oath Keepers Founder's Capitol Visits After Trump's Prison Commutation
A federal judge has issued a prohibition on Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, released from prison by President Donald Trump, and several top associates from entering the Capitol without prior authorization.
The order by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta seems to be a direct response to Rhodes’ decision to convene a meeting at the Capitol just days after Trump commuted his 18-year sentence for seditious conspiracy linked to the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
Rhodes’ Capitol Appearance
During his time at the Capitol, Rhodes engaged in interviews with multiple media outlets, met with supporters at a Dunkin’ Donuts, and had discussions with Republican legislators. In 2022, a jury convicted Rhodes of seditious conspiracy, concluding that he masterminded a plan to violently obstruct the transfer of power from Trump to Joe Biden. Witnesses testified that Rhodes and other Oath Keepers leaders amassed a significant arsenal of weapons at an Arlington, Virginia hotel, ready to transport them to Washington if the violence at the Capitol escalated further.
Prosecutors unveiled a recording from January 10, 2021, during the trial, where Rhodes expressed remorse that firearms weren’t brought to the Capitol, stating, “My only regret is they should have brought rifles.”
Trump’s Pardons and Commutations
While Trump pardoned most individuals involved in the January 6 riot, he chose to commute the sentences of those charged with seditious conspiracy.
