Far-right Oath Keeper Members Found Guilty of Felonies in Connection to U.S. Capitol Attack
A Washington jury has found four associates of the far-right Oath Keepers group guilty of obstructing an official proceeding, as well as several other felony and misdemeanor charges related to their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The group members were among the thousands of Donald Trump supporters who attacked the Capitol in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent Congress from certifying Democratic President Joe Biden's November 2020 election win.
The verdict comes after the jury remained deadlocked on serious charges for two other defendants, Michael Greene and Bennie Parker, who did not enter the building during the chaos. The two were acquitted on the most serious felonies charges, but the jury remained deadlocked on one outstanding felony count for each man. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta instructed the jury to continue deliberating on the two remaining counts. Greene and Bennie Parker were found guilty, however, on lesser misdemeanor charges of entering a restricted building or grounds.
The Oath Keepers is a militia group founded by Stewart Rhodes in 2009, whose members include current and retired U.S. military personnel, law enforcement officers, and first responders. Four people died during the chaos on Jan. 6, and five police officers died of various causes after the attack. Then-Vice President Mike Pence, members of Congress, and staff ran for their lives as rioters breached the building.
Prosecutors have brought criminal charges against more than 1,000 people following the riot, and this marks the end of the third major trial against members of the extremist group. The first two Oath Keeper trials involved members or associates of the group who were each facing one count of seditious conspiracy, which was not included in this latest case.
Former President Trump fired up the crowd on Jan. 6 with false claims that his defeat was the result of widespread fraud. He has continued to repeat those false claims, which have been rejected by multiple courts and members of his own administration, as he seeks the Republican nomination to run in 2024.
In this latest case, prosecutors said that Sandra Parker, Laura Steele, William Isaacs, and Connie Meggs, who is married to Kelly Meggs, forcibly entered the Capitol in a "stack" formation, with some of them trying to push their way toward the Senate Chamber. Greene and Bennie Parker did not physically enter the building, but prosecutors said they were part of the conspiracy.
The verdict serves as a reminder that no one is above the law, and the justice system will hold accountable those who engage in violent and unlawful actions. The rule of law is the cornerstone of democracy, and those who seek to undermine it will face consequences.