DOJ charges 9 alleged Oath Keepers with conspiracy for role in Capitol riots

The Department of Justice has arrested six additional people with ties to the far-right Oath Keepers militia group for their participation in the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, the agency announced Friday.

Driving the news: A total of nine members of the group have been charged with coordinating the attack using military-style tactics. "The case against those affiliated with the Oath Keepers is the largest conspiracy case brought by the U.S. Justice Department so far in the Jan. 6 insurrection," AP writes.

Details: The indictment alleges the defendants "did knowingly combine, conspire, confederate, and agree with each other and others known and unknown" to forcibly infiltrate the U.S. Capitol and obstruct Congress from certifying the election of Joe Biden as president.

Authorities say members of the group arrived at the Capitol wearing military-style tactical vests and helmets, marching the Capitol steps in a "stack" formation.
The DOJ indicted Jessica Marie Watkins and Donovan Ray Crowl of Ohio, and Thomas Caldwell of Virginia last month. The new arrests include:

Sandra and Bennie Parker of Ohio
Graydon Young of Florida
Laura Steele of North Carolina
Kelly and Connie Meggs of Florida

On Dec. 22, Kelly Meggs wrote on Facebook, saying President Trump's comment that Jan. 6 would be "wild" meant he "wants us to make it WILD. . . . He called us all to the Capitol. . . . Gentlemen we are heading to DC," the indictment alleges.

Caldwell, a former Navy intelligence officer and FBI official, purportedly used his military and law enforcement background to organize violence, including possible snipers and other "heavy" weapons smuggled on a boat along the Potomac River, according to court filings.

The Oath Keepers "believe that the federal government has been coopted by a shadowy conspiracy that is trying to strip American citizens of their rights," court documents say.

The group aims to recruit current and former military members, law enforcement and first-responders.

The big picture: Nearly 200 cases involving the siege have led to federal charges to date, per AP.

Members of the Proud Boys, a far-right extremist group, also face charges.

Read the full indictment.

Reader Comments

Nev · 2021-02-21T05:35:16Z

Axios, a very slanted and unreliable source. If they think that the January 6 event was an insurrection, they haven't seen anything yet. This heavy handed enforcement breeds hatred, not fear. The patriots know that this is the last dance and the republic is over.

Rowan Cocoan · 2021-02-21T07:38:12Z

This all goes right back to the type speech that government could properly prohibit, the classic example being 'yelling fire in a crowded theater', etc.

The courts long ago started to allow the slippery slope of where words not meant to incite people nor to threaten people (the latter being a more recent addition) went from stoking a riot (the prohibition of which was always ruled as a constitutional use of state power) to abstract thoughts and words not representing either a threat nor an incitement.

Of course that slope is now canted down at way over 45 degrees and the train's been a runaway for a long, long time.

To think back to a wiser time, here's a bit from JS Mill, On Liberty:

The power (of censorship) itself is illegitimate. (Snip.) It is as noxious, or more noxious, when exerted in accordance with public opinion, than when in or opposition to it. If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind . (Snip.)

But the peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it . If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error.

Free at [Link]
R.C.

Yupo · 2021-02-21T14:20:21Z

Rowan Cocoan I don't see that yelling "Fire!" is much more than cruel and aggressive social manipulation/experimentation, which goes on without impunity all the times from government and social media organizations (perhaps in league).

Rowan Cocoan · 2021-02-21T15:43:40Z

Yupo One can quickly cause a stampede which will kill people; that's where society has a right to step in. In contrast, what about not wearing a face diaper? Do they have that right? Hell no! What about pointing out the inanities of face diapers (mere words)? That's a magnitude worse. RC