WASHINGTON — Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers and recently convicted for leading his extremist group in the assault on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, made a notable appearance on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. His visit came just a day after he was released from prison under a broad clemency directive issued by former President Donald Trump.
Rhodes, who faced severe legal consequences for his role in planning the violent events that disrupted the certification of the 2020 presidential election, met with at least one lawmaker and engaged in discussions with others, where he defended his actions and refused to acknowledge any culpability regarding the violence that transpired that day. “I didn’t lead anything. So why should I feel responsible for that?” Rhodes argued.
This unexpected visit occurred shortly after Trump’s administration offered clemency to over 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the Capitol riot. In contrast, judges who sentenced many of these offenders expressed their disapproval of the pardons, which have released numerous individuals from incarceration.
Additionally, Rhodes’ visit coincided with Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson’s revival of a special committee aimed at investigating the riot, a move seen as an attempt to defend Trump’s actions on that day while disputing the findings of a bipartisan committee that had previously scrutinized the event two years earlier. Johnson remarked that he wouldn’t question Trump’s decision to issue pardons, stating, “we believe in redemption, we believe in second chances.”
During his trip, Rhodes stopped at a Dunkin’ Donuts located within the House office building, where he delivered a lengthy defense of himself. He wore a Trump 2020 hat and claimed that his presence at the Capitol was to advocate for the release of another person charged in relation to the events. Rhodes was among 14 individuals whose sentences were commuted, and he communicated his desire for a full pardon from Trump, expressing, “I think all of us should be pardoned.”
Although he expressed hopes of discussing his situation with Trump in the future, he acknowledged that there had been no communication yet. “Right now, I like to come here as much as I can,” he stated.
Rhodes’ conviction was for seditious conspiracy in relation to a siege that interrupted the electoral certification of President Joe Biden’s victory and resulted in injuries to over 100 police officers. He was found guilty of orchestrating a plot that led his followers to storm the Capitol in a futile attempt to maintain Trump’s presidency. However, Rhodes clarified that he did not enter the Capitol that day, criticizing Oath Keepers members who did partake in the storming, labeling their actions as “stupid.”
Judges in Washington, D.C. were occupied Wednesday with dismissing numerous pending cases against individuals charged in the January 6 incident. As they ruled on these dismissals, many judges articulated regret regarding the cessation of prosecutions, remarking that Trump’s mass pardons would not rewrite the history of the violent assault on a key symbol of American democracy.
U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly emphasized that the truth of the Capitol attack would endure, preserved in videos, trial transcripts, and judicial opinions. “Those records are immutable and represent the truth, no matter how the events of January 6 are described by those charged or their allies,” she emphasized.
Judge Tanya Chutkan, who oversaw Trump’s election interference case until its dismissal, echoed similar sentiments about the pardons not altering the “tragic truth” of the attack, nor diminishing the valor demonstrated by law enforcement during the riot. “It cannot whitewash the blood, feces, and terror that the mob left in its wake,” she stated, also highlighting that the capital’s tradition of peaceful transfer of power had been severely affected.
Among the various judges who have managed the hundreds of cases stemming from the Justice Department’s extensive investigation into the Capitol riot, both Kollar-Kotelly and Chutkan have become vocal critics of Trump’s pardons for those involved in the insurrection. They, along with other judges, continued to voice concerns about the implications of such clemency during Trump’s impending second inauguration.
Lawmakers present during Rhodes’ arrival expressed their shock, with some questioning whether he still posed a danger to public safety and the integrity of American democracy. Rep. Jamie Raskin, who led the impeachment process against Trump, questioned Rhodes’ influence. In an emotional press briefing, two police officers who confronted rioters on that fateful day expressed their frustration and determination to continue voicing the truth of their traumatic experiences.
The Capitol riot resulted in charges against nearly 1,600 individuals, with over 1,000 admitting guilt. More than 250 were found guilty in trials, and approximately 700 received prison sentences, which ranged from a few days to over 20 years. During the riot, more than 130 police officers suffered injuries, and four officers later tragically took their own lives. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick passed away following his encounter with the rioters, though medical examinations later attributed his death to natural causes.
As the legal repercussions of the January 6 events continue to unfold, the resounding heroism of the law enforcement officials who defended Congress remains a pivotal narrative, underscoring the profound impacts of that day on the nation’s democratic principles and practices.
