The court ruled that Stewart Rhodes, as leader of the extremist group Oath Keepers, had far-reaching plans to keep Donald Trump in power, and that those plans culminated with the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021. It writes several American media.
When the judge in the case, Amit Mehta, announced that he will get 18 years, she said that Rhodes poses an ongoing threat to U.S. democracy.
"We cannot have a group of citizens who, because they did not like the election results and do not believe that the law was followed, incite revolution," said Judge Amit Mehta.
Led the storming
According to the ruling, Stewart Rhodes' role in the storming was central. He allegedly organized and ordered dozens of people from the Oath Keepers on what to do. Had it not been for Rhodes, they would not have been in Washington DC that day, the court said.
He is now convicted of incitement to conspiracy, a crime that has rarely been convicted in the United States in modern times.
In total, 22 people led by Rhodes have been convicted of various crimes linked to the storming of the Capitol.
According to Judge Amit Metha, Rhodes' combined actions constitute domestic terrorism and he has shown no signs of remorse. The prosecutor asked for 25 years in prison.
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"The moment President Trump finished his speech, I noticed that the mood changed" – hear Fouad Youcefi, who was present at the storming. Photo: SVT