United States | The trial of the extremist organization Oath Keepers, which supported Trump, began, on suspicion of sedition

The founder of the extremist organization Oath Keepers allegedly tried to get permission from Donald Trump to prevent Joe Biden’s rise to power with an armed force.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA in the capital, Washington, a trial began on Monday in which five members of the far-right Oath Keepers organization are accused of seditious conspiracy in connection with the violent takeover of the Congress building on January 6, 2021.

Federal prosecutor Jeffrey Nestler stated, according to the news agency AFP, in his opening statement that the organization was guilty of “armed rebellion” and “resisting the US government with violence”. A rare crime can result in a 20-year prison sentence.

According to Nestler, the founder of the Oath Keepers, who wears an eyepatch Stewart Rhodes led attackers dressed in military-style outfits “like a general on the battlefield”.

According to the charges, the members of the organization are trying to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election, i.e. the Democrat Joe Biden election victory. According to those who attacked the congressional building, the Republican won the election Donald Trump.

According to the prosecutor, members of the Oath Keepers had brought weapons, ammunition and grenades to the hotel near Washington, which they expected to use later. The group was from the states of Texas, Florida, Ohio and Virginia.

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At least 919 people has received charges in connection with the riot, but only a small part of them are accused of attempted rebellion or other more serious crimes. In addition to Oath Keepers, members of the extremist organizations Proud Boys and Three Percenters have received heavy charges.

According to AFP, the defense of the Oath Keepers leaders is expected to argue that the members of the organization expected that Trump would have declared a state of emergency to prevent Biden’s rise to power and asked the Oath Keepers to help protect the United States.

According to the Ministry of Justice, Stewart Rhodes had tried to contact Trump on the phone through an intermediary on the evening of January 6. Rhodes hoped that he would get the authority from Trump to prevent the change of power by force.

It is unclear who, if anyone, Rhodes was in contact with. At least he didn’t get to talk to Trump, a member of the Oath Keepers organization who testified has said. According to Rhodes’ lawyer, the whole call is made up, The Washington Post magazine says.

The trial it is hoped that it will shed light on the kind of relationships Trump’s inner circle had with the people who took over the Congress building.

The special committee investigating the takeover of the Congress building has long been investigating the extent to which Trump himself was involved in attempts to overturn the results of the presidential election. Trump has never admitted that he lost to Biden and he is still going around the country talking about the big scam.

In December 2020 Trump invited his supporters on Twitter to arrive in Washington on January 6, 2021, as it would be known to “go wild”. The promise of “going wild” was the rallying cry of many supporters who arrived in Washington on Internet discussion forums before arriving in the capital.

On January 6, Congress was scheduled to formally confirm Biden’s election victory. In connection with the gathering of Congress, Trump organized a mass event where he asked his supporters to march to the Congress building.

He asked his supporters to remain “calm and patriotic”, but also to “show their strength”. A riot followed, in which five people lost their lives.

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According to the prosecutor, members of the Oath Keepers organization had discussed in encrypted chat groups how they wanted to start a civil war to prevent Biden from becoming president.

“I am personally going to start a civil war,” said a member of the organization who was among the defendants on Monday Thomas Caldwell had written.

Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers organization, spoke on the radio at the event of former US President Donald Trump in Minneapolis, Minnesota in October 2019.

Stewart Rhodes, 56, founded Oath Keepers in 2009. He is a former Army paratrooper who graduated from the prestigious Yale University School of Law. He has previously worked for a libertarian congressman Ron Paul’s as an assistant.

According to one account, to Oath Keepers has been heard 38,000 members including police and military. Corporate stated goal has been to fight tyranny and defend the US Constitution.

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