Pardoning Oath Keepers Leader Stewart Rhodes Would Be ‘Frightening’: Judge
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What’s New
A federal judge said Wednesday that pardoning Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes would be “frightening.”
Why It Matters
Over 1,500 people have been charged with crimes connected to the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, and over 1,000 of them have been convicted and sentenced. Of those that have received sentences, about two-thirds got prison time ranging from a few days to 22 years.
President-elect Donald Trump has called the Capitol rioters “hostages” and “patriots” and has vowed to pardon them.
What To Know
Nearly four years ago, a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., in a failed attempt at stopping Congress from certifying now-President Joe Biden’s 2020 election win. The riot erupted following repeated claims from Trump that the election was stolen via widespread voter fraud, despite there being no evidence to support such claims.
Members of the Oath Keepers, a far-right group, were among the Capitol rioters. Rhodes, the group’s founder, is currently serving an 18-year prison sentence after he and other Oath Keepers members were convicted of seditious conspiracy, the most serious charge stemming from the Capitol riot.
Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, speaks during a rally outside the White House in Washington, June 25, 2017. A federal judge said Wednesday that pardoning Rhodes would be “frightening.” Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, speaks during a rally outside the White House in Washington, June 25, 2017. A federal judge said Wednesday that pardoning Rhodes would be “frightening.” AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta alluded to the prospect of Rhodes getting pardoned as he sentenced former Oath Keepers member William Todd Wilson on Wednesday. Wilson, a 48-year-old U.S. Army veteran and former firefighter from North Carolina, pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy in May 2022.
“The notion that Stewart Rhodes could be absolved of his actions is frightening and ought to be frightening to anyone who cares about democracy in this country,” Mehta said.
What People Are Saying
U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, who was nominated by Trump, said at a hearing last month, “Blanket pardons for all January 6 defendants or anything close would be beyond frustrating and disappointing, but that’s not my call.”
“And the possibility of some pardons, at least, is a very real thing,” Nichols added.
What Happens Next
Wilson was sentenced to one year of home detention and three years of probation.
Meanwhile, during a recent interview for Time magazine’s “Person of the Year” issue, Trump was asked if he would pardon all January 6 defendants, to which he said, “I’m going to do case-by-case, and if they were non-violent, I think they’ve been greatly punished,” adding that he will start looking into the cases “in the first hour that I get into office.”
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
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