The jury's decision is an important part of the process of imposing consequences on those who tried to block the certification of the election.
The jury convicted all defendants of criminal conduct, including two Oath Keepers leaders who were found guilty of seditious conspiracy against the United States. Those responsible for the assault on our democracy will be held accountable. The prosecutors and agents of the Department of Justice did a great job.
The director of the FBI welcomed the verdicts.
There will be no tolerance for breaking the law in an attempt to undermine American democracy.
There is a maximum sentence of 60 years for all of the charges Rhodes was found guilty of. Watkins faces 56 years, Harrelson faces 46 years, and Caldwell faces 40 years. Federal sentencing guidelines can result in terms below the maximum for defendants.
The jury deliberated for three days before reaching a decision. Outside the courthouse, defense attorneys for Rhodes vowed to appeal the verdict and said they were happy with the jury's decision. Ed Tarpley called it a mix of things. Lee Bright believed the outcome could have been different if the case had been tried outside of Washington. Bright praised the handling of the trial by the district court judge. Mehta will make a decision on the date of the sentencing.
As the verdict was read, one person in attendance was the U.S. Capitol Police officer who testified about his interaction with Oath Keepers outside Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office. After jurors said a verdict had been reached, Dunn raced to the courthouse.
While they await sentencing, Rhodes, Meggs, Harrelson and Watkins are in prison. Caldwell will remain on release until he is sentenced.
Watkins was found guilty of tampering with evidence. Meggs, Harrelson and Watkins were found guilty of conspiring to prevent Congress from discharging their duties. Three people were found not guilty of property destruction at the Capitol.
The group was accused of preparing for an armed rebellion against the government after Biden was projected to win the election. Government attorneys painstakingly reconstructed thousands of text and Signal messages sent among key players in the alleged conspiracy during that crucial time period.
Prosecutors claimed that some of Rhodes' lieutenants, including Meggs, Watkins, Harrelson and Caldwell, were involved in those conversations. Several others charged in the seditious conspiracy plot will go on trial next month, and another group of Oath Keepers will go on trial in February.
Throughout the two months after Election Day, Rhodes, a Yale law school graduate and disbarred attorney, used increasingly bellicose rhetoric to urge supporters to reject the incoming Biden administration, suggesting at times that he and other Oath Keeper allies should resist the authority of the government. The Insurrection Act is a 19th century statute that he claimed would allow Trump to deploy the military and deputize the Oath Keepers in order to prevent the transfer of power.
If Trump didn't act, Rhodes told his followers that they would have to take matters into their own hands. Two dozen of Trump's allies were inside the Capitol when a mob of his supporters rampaged through the building.
He was upset that his supporters didn't bring their guns to Washington after the Capitol attack.
The Oath Keeper defendants were accused of being prone to violent rhetoric but did not back up their words. On the day of the riot, they left their guns at the Comfort Inn. They traveled to Washington to provide security for speakers at Trump's "Stop the Steal" rally and related events, including figures like Roger Stone and Ali Alexander, who were shown by prosecutors and defense attorneys.
Some witnesses said that Rhodes described their decision to go inside as stupid, and that he didn't authorize their decision to enter the Capitol during the riot. The Oath Keepers had a practice of setting up an armed quick-reaction force, just in case events turned violent, just in case, not an arsenal meant to overthrow the government.
Josh Gerstein made a contribution.
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