Oath Keepers founder guilty of sedition in U.S. Capitol attack plot - Reuters

WASHINGTON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Oath Keepers laminitis Stewart Rhodes, and different person of the right-wing group, were recovered blameworthy connected Tuesday of seditious conspiracy for the onslaught connected the U.S. Capitol by Donald Trump supporters, an important triumph for the Justice Department.

The verdicts against Rhodes and 4 co-defendants, aft 3 days of deliberations by the 12-member jury, came successful the highest-profile proceedings truthful acold to look from the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, battle connected the U.S. Capitol, a failed bid to overturn then-President Trump's 2020 predetermination defeat.

Rhodes, a Yale Law School-educated erstwhile Army paratrooper and disbarred attorney, was accused by prosecutors during an eight-week proceedings of plotting to usage unit to effort to artifact Congress from certifying Democratic President Joe Biden's predetermination triumph implicit Republican Trump. Rhodes was convicted connected 3 counts and acquitted connected two.

One of his co-defendants, Kelly Meggs, was besides recovered blameworthy of seditious conspiracy portion the 3 others - Kenneth Harrelson, Jessica Watkins and Thomas Caldwell - were acquitted of that charge.

All 5 defendants were convicted of obstruction of an authoritative proceeding - the legislature certification of the predetermination results - with mixed verdicts connected a fistful of different charges.

The charges of seditious conspiracy and obstruction of an authoritative proceeding each transportation a condemnation of up to 20 years successful prison.

Two much high-profile trials related to the onslaught are owed to statesman adjacent month. Four different Oath Keepers members look seditious conspiracy charges, arsenic bash members of the right-wing Proud Boys group, including its erstwhile president Enrique Tarrio.

James Lee Bright, an lawyer for Rhodes, said helium thinks the verdict volition pass however the Justice Department proceeds connected the different seditious conspiracy prosecutions.

"The instrumentality successful this, adjacent though we're not pleased with it, astir apt speaks to the information that the DOJ is going to spell afloat steam up successful similar manner connected each the others," Bright told reporters extracurricular court.

Rhodes, who wears an oculus spot aft accidentally shooting himself successful the look with his ain gun, is 1 of the astir salient defendants of the astir 900 charged implicit the attack. Meggs, who heads the Oath Keepers' Florida chapter, was the lone suspect too Rhodes successful this proceedings who played a enactment relation successful the organization.

Rhodes successful 2009 founded the Oath Keepers, a militia radical whose members see existent and retired U.S. subject personnel, instrumentality enforcement officers and archetypal responders. Its members person showed up, often heavy armed, astatine protests and governmental events astir the United States including the radical justness demonstrations pursuing the execution of a Black antheral named George Floyd by a achromatic Minneapolis constabulary officer.

"The Justice Department is committed to holding accountable those criminally liable for the battle connected our ideology connected Jan. 6, 2021," Attorney General Merrick Garland said successful a statement.

'MIXED BAG'

Rhodes' lawyer Ed Tarpley called the verdicts "a mixed bag."

"We are grateful for the not blameworthy verdicts received. We are disappointed successful the blameworthy verdicts," Tarpley told reporters extracurricular court. "There was nary grounds introduced to bespeak determination was a program to onslaught the Capitol."

Prosecutors during the proceedings said Rhodes and his co-defendants planned to usage unit to forestall Congress from formally certifying Biden's predetermination victory. Meggs, Watkins and Harrelson each entered the Capitol clad successful tactical gear.

The defendants were besides accused of creating a "quick absorption force" that prosecutors said was positioned astatine a adjacent Virginia edifice and was equipped with firearms that could beryllium rapidly transported into Washington.

Fifty witnesses testified during the trial, including Rhodes and 2 of his co-defendants. They denied plotting immoderate onslaught oregon seeking to artifact Congress from certifying the predetermination results, though Watkins admitted to impeding constabulary officers protecting the Capitol.

Rhodes told the assemblage helium had nary program to tempest the Capitol and did not larn that immoderate of his chap Oath Keepers had breached the gathering until aft the riot had ended.

Prosecutors during cross-examination sought to overgarment Rhodes arsenic a liar, showing him leafage aft leafage of his inflammatory substance messages, videos, photos and audio recordings. These included Rhodes lamenting astir not bringing rifles to Washington connected Jan. 6 and saying helium could person hanged U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat reviled by the right.

Watkins, a transgender pistillate who fled the U.S. Army aft being confronted with homophobic slurs, and Caldwell, a disabled U.S. Navy veteran, besides chose to testify.

Watkins admitted to having "criminal liability" for impeding constabulary officers wrong the Capitol and apologized. At the aforesaid time, Watkins denied having immoderate program to tempest the building, describing being "swept up" conscionable arsenic enthusiastic shoppers behave connected "Black Friday" erstwhile they unreserved into stores to acquisition discount-price vacation gifts similar TVs.

Her attorney, Jonathan Crisp, told reporters helium was "grateful" his lawsuit was acquitted of sedition.

Caldwell, who similar Rhodes did not participate the Capitol gathering and ne'er formally joined the Oath Keepers, tried to downplay immoderate of the inflammatory texts helium sent astir the attack. Caldwell said immoderate of the lines were adapted from oregon inspired by movies specified arsenic "The Princess Bride" and cartoons specified arsenic Bugs Bunny.

Attorneys for some Harrelson and Rhodes told reporters aft the proceedings they mean to entreaty the convictions.

Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch, further reporting by Eric Beech and Costas Pitas; Editing by Scott Malone, Will Dunham and Stephen Coates

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