Oath Keepers Founder Hit With Seditious Conspiracy Charges Stemming From Capitol Riot

The founder of the far-right militia group the Oath Keepers has been arrested for his role in the January 2021 Capitol riot.

Elmer Stewart Rhodes of Granbury, Texas, and ten other Oath Keepers were indicted Thursday for an elaborate coordinated effort to transport weapons and ammunition into Washington D.C. on January 6th, 2021. The 56-year-old and others in the group have been hit with “seditious conspiracy” charges, which are the most serious charges that have been brought up in relation to the deadly riot.

Seditious conspiracy refers to conspiring to cause rebellion against an established order using overt conduct, such as speech and organization.

According to the indictment, the Oath Keepers distributed their weapons among organized “quick reaction force” that planned to use deadly force to stop the transfer of power to President Joe Biden after he was named the winner of the 2020 election.

Authorities discovered that Rhodes began sending communications via coded apps in November 2020, asking members to help stop Biden’s presidency from being certified.

One message from November 5th using the Signal app shows that Rhodes was already gearing up to use combat ahead of the election.

“We aren’t getting through this without a civil war,” he wrote before preparing his followers to “prepare” their “mind, body spirit.”

Throughout three consecutive indictments, 19 members of the Oath Keepers have been indicted. Eleven of them are charged with seditious conspiracy, while the rest are charged with hindering an official proceeding and other offenses.