The founding leader of the far-right Oath Keepers militia, Stewart Rhodes, has categorically denied any plans to attack the Capitol on January 6, 2021, calling those who stormed the U.S. Congress to prevent the 2020 presidential election results from being certified «stupid.»
«My goal was to make sure that no one was involved in that,» Rhodes has assured before the congressional committee investigating the assault on the Capitol, as reported by Bloomberg.
Ha leader of Oath Keepers has claimed that the «mission» of his group on January 6, 2021 was to provide security at Trump’s events and speakers, ensuring that invading the Capitol «opened the door» for their political enemies to pursue them.
Rhodes, like four other members of the far-right militia, is accused of participating in plots using force to oppose the swearing-in of President Joe Biden, obstructing congressional confirmation of the 2020 election results and preventing parliamentarians from carrying out their official duties, ‘The Washington Post’ has reported.
Some of the most compromising evidence for Rhodes, who had the gall to compare himself to former South African President Nelson Mandela during the trial, reveals how the «only regret» he felt during that January 6 was not having enough weapons to take power by force.
«We should have brought rifles. We could have fixed it right then and there. I would hang the whore Pelosi from a lamppost,» Rhodes is heard saying in one of these audios that support the accusation of the U.S. Justice Department, which is asking for him and his followers sentences of up to 20 years in prison.
The trial of Rhodes and the rest of his clique is the first in more than a decade against a U.S. extremist group. In this case, the leadership of Oath Keepers is accused of trying to stop by force the confirmation by Congress of President Joe Biden’s victory in the 2019 presidential election.
There are already some members of Oath Keepers who have acknowledged in previous hearings and trials these links, such as Kellye SoRelle who revealed that she contacted former White House advisor Andrew Giuliani — son of Rudy Giuliani –, or William Todd Wilson, who told how Rhodes «repeatedly implored» to contact Trump to let him know that they were ready to stop the peaceful transfer of mandate.
