Stewart Rhodes, founder of the far-right group Oath Keepers, was convicted of inciting to order members to protest on Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021.
The 57-year-old Rhodes, a veteran, graduate of Yale Law School, and four members of the group are accused of plotting an armed rebellion to change the results of the November 2020 presidential election after Democratic candidate Joe Biden defeated Republican rival Donald Trump. with the final victory.
Kelly Meggs, another member of the group, was found guilty of the same crime as Rhodes, while three other co-conspirators were acquitted of the same charge, which carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
During the trial, the Department of Justice said that Rhodes and the Oath Keepers "planned an armed rebellion against the United States government by force". Prosecutors showed video of the attack, in which dozens of Oath Keepers dressed in military fatigues stormed the parliament building.
The defendants described the case as a political experiment in progress. by the administration against groups that support former President Trump, Biden's successor.
Hundreds of former Trump supporters have been arrested for their roles in the Capitol Hill riots, but they face lesser charges than those against Rhodes and four other members of the Oath Keepers. The 12-member jury deliberated for nearly three days before reaching its verdict.
The verdict of not guilty on charges of incitement against the five defendants will be a setback for the Justice Department, which is planning to try members of the Proud Boys, another far-right extremist group, for the same crime.
Prosecutors allege that Oath Keepers were armed at a hotel near Washington and joined a mob that stormed the state Capitol to prevent lawmakers from ratifying Biden's election victory. Rhodes did not enter the building personally, but acted as a guide to other members of the group.
Rhodes denied that his team had planned an attack on Capitol Hill, saying they had come to Washington for security for the protest.
"Entering the Capitol building was not part of our mission that day," Rhodes said, but acknowledged that some Oath Keepers members "disobeyed orders" and caused chaos.
Rhodes also called Meggs, the leader of the Florida Oath Keepers chapter, "an idiot." for bringing his men into the state Capitol.
However, prosecutors showed the jury text between Rhodes and other members. In which he called on the public to act if former President Trump himself did not act to prevent the confirmation of Mr. Biden as the next president. .
US Attorney General Merrick Garland earlier this month appointed a special counsel to oversee the investigation into Trump's efforts to overturn the election results and his role in the riots. Capitol Hill.
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