Who is Stewart Rhodes?

Stewart Rhodes, the founder and leader of the far-right Oath Keepers militia group, along with four other extremists, is facing trial for the Capitol riots on Monday at a Washington-based Federal Court.

Rhodes, three other members of the Oath Keepers and one Jessica Watkins – the leader of an Ohio-based extremist group, have been charged under the seditious conspiracy law for conspiring to stop Joe Biden from taking over as the president.

The prosecutors say that Rhodes and co. planned an “armed rebellion” weeks in advance of the Capitol riots on January 6, 2021. It is being alleged that they gave armed training and gathered weapons in anticipation of the Capitol hill riots.

Also read: Jan 6 hearing: US House Committee probes ‘unhinged’ meeting, Trump rally call

Along with Rhodes, ten other people were charged with seditious conspiracy. However, in the ongoing trial, only five of them will go up. The trials are being touted as the US Department of Justice’s biggest attempt so far to hold the perpetrators of the Capitol hills riots accountable.

Also read: What happened on December 18, 2020: ‘Craziest meeting of Trump presidency’

Rhodes was arrested with Edward Vallejo, 63, of Phoenix, Arizona. The 56-year-old is the highest-ranking member of Oath Keepers militia group.

“So you just refuse to acknowledge that anything he [Biden] does is constitutional. Because it wouldn’t be constitutional anyway. Even if he were duly elected, he would still by violating his oath in passing unconstitutional nonsense. But he was not duly elected,” Rhodes said.

Also read: Trump’s ‘Be there, will be wild!’ tweet triggered Capitol attack: Jan 6 committee

He is a staunch believer that the election was stolen from former President Donald Trump. 

“So we have an opportunity to walk the path of the Founding Fathers and declare your independence from that illegitimate regime.”

These are the first charges of seditious conspiracy that the Justice Department has brought in connection with the attack led by supporters of former President Donald Trump.

Rhodes, who himself did not enter the Capitol on January 6, 2021, is accused of helping put into motion the violence that disrupted the certification of the vote. 

Also read: Jan 6 hearings: Pat Cipollone ‘believed Donald Trump should’ve conceded’

The arrest of Rhodes and the others is a serious escalation of the accusations against the thousands of rioters who stormed the Capitol. And the charges answer in part a growing chorus of Republicans who have publicly questioned the seriousness of the Jan. 6 insurrection, arguing that since no one had been charged yet with sedition or treason, it could not have been so violent.

The indictment against Rhodes alleges Oath Keepers formed two teams, or “stacks,” that entered the Capitol. The first “stack” split up inside the building to separately go after the House and Senate. The second “stack” confronted officers inside the Capitol Rotunda, the indictment said. Outside Washington, the indictment alleges, the Oath Keepers had stationed two “quick reaction forces” that had guns “in support of their plot to stop the lawful transfer of power.”

With inputs from the Associated Press