- Stewart Rhodes’ testimony opened him as much as questions on his spending of Oath Keepers finances.
- Rhodes said “falling-outs” and a board member resigning over scrutiny of his spending.
- Prosecutors confirmed messages belying Rhodes’ try to distance himself from the Capitol assault.
Ahead of his indictment on fees associated with the January 6, 2021, assault at the Capitol, Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes confronted a distinct roughly scrutiny — from inside of his personal far-right crew.
On Monday, federal prosecutors referred to as consideration to questions and tensions associated with Rhodes’ use of Oath Keepers finances for private costs within the years since he based the far-right crew in 2009. With Rhodes attesting in his personal protection at his seditious conspiracy trial, federal prosecutor Kathryn Rakoczy requested him whether or not he have been “dwelling off the Oath Keepers for the decade.”
“As I testified, I draw a wage,” Rhodes replied. Rhodes went on to recognize “falling-outs” with the Oath Keepers board, together with the resignation of 1 member over issues about his spending of crew finances.
He showed that he paid for shuttle, foods, and firearms with Oath Keepers finances however claimed now not to keep in mind the use of the crowd’s cash to talk over with circle of relatives over the vacations in past due 2020 — simply weeks sooner than the Capitol assault.
“Um … do not recall,” he mentioned.
Rakoczy then pressed him, asking if he’d tapped into Oath Keepers finances “somewhat just a little” to hide own costs.
“I would not say it is truthful to mention that. It is my full-time task, and I shuttle so much,” he mentioned.
Rakoczy wondered Rhodes all through a cross-examination that got here at the heels of the Oath Keepers founder taking the dangerous step of attesting in his personal protection. At every other level in her wondering, she perceived to assert that Rhodes had now not paid own source of revenue taxes from 2008 to 2020, drawing an objection that Pass judgement on Amit Mehta granted.
“There is lots to cross-examine him about. I don’t believe that is essential,” Mehta mentioned.
Rhodes is status trial along 4 different Oath Keepers contributors — Kelly Meggs; Kenneth Harrelson; Jessica Watkins; and Thomas Caldwell — on fees they plotted to violently save you the non violent switch of energy from former President Donald Trump to President Joe Biden.
Within the weekslong trial, prosecutors have offered proof of Rhodes making an attempt to induce Trump to take extra drastic motion to stay in energy and save you the certification of Biden’s victory. Prosecutors have additionally proven video photos of Oath Keepers contributors getting into the Capitol in military-style stack formations, and they’ve offered different proof that the crowd stockpiled firearms in a resort room out of doors Washington, DC, for so-called “fast response” forces that may be deployed on January 6.
The high-profile trial has featured probably the most critical price — seditious conspiracy — the Justice Division has introduced within the wave of just about 900 prosecutions stemming from the January 6 assault at the Capitol. Nevertheless it has additionally make clear the historical past and funds of the Oath Keepers, a far-right crew that explicitly specializes in recruiting present and previous regulation enforcement, navy, and first-responder team of workers.
At the witness stand, dressed in a swimsuit and eye patch, Rhodes distanced himself from the violence of January 6. Rhodes, who remained out of doors the Capitol, testified that he idea it used to be “silly” for Oath Keepers contributors to go into the development.
Getting into the Capitol, he mentioned, used to be “now not our venture.”
“It opened the door for our political enemies to persecute us, and that is the reason what took place,” he added. “Right here we’re.”
As he did on Friday, when he first of all took the stand, Rhodes tried to color the Oath Keepers as a service-minded crew that equipped coverage all through protests and social unrest however didn’t condone violence.
However, in wondering that tested the Oath Keepers’ greater than decade-long historical past, Rakoczy sought to poke holes in Rhodes’ presentation of the crowd. She famous Rhodes’ rhetoric and the site the place he based the crowd: Lexington, Massachusetts, the website of the “shot heard ‘spherical the arena” that began the American Revolution.
From the Oath Keepers’ founding, the crowd used to be desirous about “forceful opposition to the federal government, is not that appropriate?” Rakoczy requested.
“That isn’t proper,” Rhodes spoke back.
Rakoczy later displayed {a photograph} of an Oath Keepers member wearing weapons at the roof of a trade all through the protests in Ferguson, Missouri, that adopted the deadly capturing of Michael Brown via police. In her wondering, she additionally famous that the Oath Keepers equipped ammunition for AR-15 rifles all through the 2014 standoff on the Bundy Ranch.
For Rakoczy, Rhodes’ most well-liked symbol of the Oath Keepers used to be belied via his personal messages with fellow contributors. In a single making plans message, in past due 2021, Rhodes recalled strolling during the streets of Portland, Oregon, all through the social unrest that adopted the homicide of George Floyd whilst within the custody of the Minneapolis police.
“I used to be quote/unquote unarmed, however I had my helmet in my hand. Wager what that used to be for? That used to be to whack any person appropriate around the face if they will come at me. So,” he wrote.
In every other message sooner than January 6, Rhodes wrote: “Trump has one remaining likelihood, presently, to face. However he’s going to want us and our rifles too. However will he FINALLY Act?”
Rhodes testified that, on January 6, he took a hands-off manner and delegated decision-making to crew leaders.
When Rakoczy requested if the dollar stopped with him on January 6, he answered, “Now not once they do one thing off-mission, I am not in price.”
“Smartly that is handy,” Rakoczy mentioned.
https://www.businessinsider.com/oath-keepers-founder-rhodes-funds-personal-expenses-capitol-attack-2022-11