Charge that traces back to efforts to protect the federal government against Southern rebels during the Civil War used a seditious plot over of the year against wide range of defendants – among them ultra-right militias, radical trade trade unions and Puerto Rican nationalists. last successful prosecution for sedition was in 1995 when group of Islamic militants were found guilty of plans to blow up several New York landmarks.
The trial of the keepers of the oath has begun in Federal District Court in Washington in early October. In his opening statement, Jeffrey S. Nestler one of in lead prosecutors told the jury that in weeks after Mr Biden won elections, Mr. Rhodes and his subordinates were “planning for armed rebellion destroy the foundation of American Democracy: Peaceful Transmission of presidential power.
Mr. Nestler also closed the government case last week, announcing that the Oathkeepers were plotting against Mr. Biden, ignoring both law and will of voters because they hated results of elections.
“They claimed they were saving the Republic,” he said, “but they destroyed it. instead”.
Between these remarks prosecutors showed the jury hundreds of encrypted text messages exchanged between members of the Oath Keepers, demonstrating that Mr. Rhodes and some of his followers we in captivated by outlandish fears that Chinese agents had infiltrated the United States government and that Mr. Biden is a “puppet” of Chinese Communist Party – may cede control of countries in the UN.
Messages also revealed that Mr. Rhodes was possessed with leftist movement known as antifa, which he believes in league with The new administration of Mr. Biden. AT one moment during the trial, mr. rhodes, who took rack in his own defense told jurors he was convinced antifa activists would storm the White House, overpower the Secret Service, and forcibly pull Trump out of building if he failed admit defeat to Mr. Biden.
Prosecutors tried to prove how Mr Rhodes former Army paratrooper with law degree from Yale University, panicked more and more as the election drew to a close. final joint certification session of Congress on January 6. Under his direction the Oathkeepers, whose members are mostly former law enforcement officers and military veterans – took part in two rallies “Stop theft” in Washington, providing event security and bodyguard work for Trump supporters.
The jurors were told that during the entire post-election period, Mr. Rhodes was desperately trying to get in touch with Mr Trump and persuade him to take emergency action to preserve power. In December 2020 he posted two open letters to Mr. Trump on his website begging the President to remove voting data machines throughout the country, which supposedly prove the elections were rigged.