Oath Keeper Stewart Rhodes agrees to testify to January 6 committee, but with a condition

Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the right-wing group Oath Keepers, said that he is ready to speak to the January 6 committee, which is investigating the 2021 Capitol riots in Washington DC. Rhodes, however, has ensured his testimony with a condition that might just be a dealbreaker.

The Oath Keeper has been charged with seditious conspiracy in the most serious cases the Justice Department has brought so far in the January 6 attack. He is currently in prison and awaits trial.

Also Read: Jan 6 hearings: How Oath Keepers, Proud Boys have been linked to Donald Trump

Rhodes said that he will only speak to the House Select Committee if the conversation is in-person. He has further demanded that his testimony should be taken at the Capitol complex and not from jail.

Rhodes also wants his legal counsel to accompany him. James Bright, who is Rhodes’ attorney, told Politico that the Oath Keeper “wants to confront them.”

Even though the January 6 committee has not yet revealed details about who is going to testify at the next public hearing, which is expected to revolve around two major topics: Former US President Donald Trump’s tweets and the involvement of right-wing groups like the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys.

The next public hearing of the House Select Committee was originally scheduled for July 12, 2022 at 10 AM ET. However, the timings have now been moved to 1 PM ET. It is unclear why the schedule has been moved around.

Also Read: Donald Trump’s tweets before the January 6 riots: A timeline

How is Stewart Rhodes connected to the January 6 riots?

While gathered in a private suite at the Phoenix Park Hotel, an Oath Keeper member says he heard their leader, Stewart Rhodes, repeatedly urge the person on the phone to tell Trump to call upon militia groups to fight to keep the president in power.

“I just want to fight,” Rhodes said after hanging up with the person, who denied Rhodes’ appeal to speak directly to the president, court records say.