Oath Keepers Founder Sentenced to 18 Years for Seditious Conspiracy
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for seditious conspiracy for his actions in the lead up to and during the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
Details: Rhodes’s sentence is the longest yet handed down to an individual involved in the riot. The Department of Justice sought a 25-year sentence, stating in a memo that Rhodes “exploited his vast public influence as the leader of the Oath Keepers and used his talents for manipulation to goad more than twenty other American citizens into using force, intimidation, and violence to seek to impose their preferred result on a U.S. presidential election.” This is also the first Jan. 6 case where the judge agreed to add the “terrorism” label, adding enhanced penalties. Prosecutors cited messages from Rhodes telling members to prepare for “civil war” among others as proof of conspiracy.
Key Quotes: Announcing the sentence, the federal judge stated, “Mr. Rhodes. You have been convicted of seditious conspiracy. You’re a lawyer. You understand what that means. Among the most serious crimes an individual American can commit … an offense against the people of our country.” Rhodes claims he is a political prisoner, and his lawyer said the blame for the riot should be placed on “Trump, right-wing media, politicians, all the people who spun that narrative.”
How The Media Covered It: The sentencing was a top story mainly in left-rated outlets on Thursday, but coverage was consistent across the spectrum.
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From the Right
Oathkeeper Stewart Rhodes sentenced to 18 years after Jan. 6 seditious conspiracy conviction
Oathkeeper founder Stewart Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years in prison on Thursday following a seditious conspiracy conviction in connection to the Jan. 6 riot.
This is the first sentence handed down to any defendant convicted of seditious conspiracy related to Jan. 6 and represents the longest sentence given to any Jan. 6 defendant so far.
Government prosecutors had been seeking a sentence of 25 years for Rhodes.
Before handing down the sentence, U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta addressed Rhodes directly.
From the Center
Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes sentenced to 18 years for Jan. 6
A federal judge on Thursday sentenced Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes to 18 years in prison following his conviction on seditious conspiracy charges for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.
The sentencing represents the longest prison term yet assigned to a figure involved in the riot, coming after Rhodes was found guilty on numerous other charges last November, including other felony charges such as obstruction of an official proceeding.
Judge Amit Mehta laid down the sentence with harsh words for Rhodes over a several minute...
From the Left
Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes sentenced to 18 years for seditious conspiracy in Jan. 6 attack
The founder of the Oath Keepers extremist group was sentenced Thursday to 18 years in prison for orchestrating a weekslong plot that culminated in his followers attacking the U.S. Capitol in a bid to keep President Joe Biden out of the White House after the 2020 election.
Stewart Rhodes is the first person charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack to be sentenced for seditious conspiracy, and his sentence is the longest that has been handed down so far in the hundreds of Capitol riot cases.
It’s another milestone for...
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