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Oath Keepers is an American far-right[1] anti-government militia[1][5] whose leaders have been convicted of violently opposing the government of the United States, including the transfer of presidential power as prescribed by the United States Constitution. It was incorporated in 2009 by founder Elmer Stewart Rhodes, a lawyer and former paratrooper. In 2023, Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years for seditious conspiracy for his role in the January 6 United States Capitol attack, and another Oath Keepers leader, Kelly Meggs, was sentenced to 12 years for the same crime.[6] Three other members have pleaded guilty to this crime, and four other members have been convicted of it.[7][8]

Key Information

Research on their membership determined that two-thirds of the Oath Keepers are former military or law enforcement, and one tenth are active duty military or law enforcement. The group encourages its members to disobey orders which they believe would violate the U.S. Constitution. Most research determined the Oath Keeper membership to be approximately 5,000 members, while leaked data showed Oath Keepers' rosters claiming membership of 38,000.[9][10][11][12]

Several organizations that monitor U.S. domestic terrorism and hate groups describe the Oath Keepers as a far-right extremist or radical group.[1][13] In 2015, Mark Pitcavage of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) described the group as "heavily armed extremists with a conspiratorial and anti-government mindset looking for potential showdowns with the government".[14][15] According to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), the group is anti-government and extremist.[16][17][18][19] Former SPLC senior fellow Mark Potok describes the group as "an anti-government group who believe in a wild set of conspiracy theories".[20] The FBI describes the Oath Keepers as a "paramilitary organization" and a "large but loosely organized collection of militia who believe that the federal government has been coopted by a shadowy conspiracy that is trying to strip American citizens of their rights."[21] Some researchers have suggested the Oath Keepers' organizing principle is as a "profit-maximizing firm", rather than the hierarchical and close-knit "club" structure that many other groups in these categories show.[22]

Oath Keepers were present wearing military fatigues during the 2014 and 2015 unrest in Ferguson, Missouri,[23][24][25] when members armed with semi-automatic rifles roamed streets and rooftops.[26][27]

By September 2021, twenty members had been indicted for federal crimes related to the January 2021 Capitol attack, with four pleading guilty.[28][29]

The organization was subpoenaed by the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack in November 2021. Eleven members of the organization, including its founder and leader Stewart Rhodes, were indicted for seditious conspiracy in January 2022.[30] Nine were convicted of this rare charge, as follows: By late April, two of the indicted members had pleaded guilty to it,[31] and a third member who had not been named in the initial indictment pleaded guilty to it on May 4.[32] On November 29, a jury found Rhodes and one co-defendant guilty of it.[33] Four more Oath Keepers were convicted of it by a separate jury two months later.[34]

Writing in "The New York Times" Alan Feuer said that the Oath Keepers "barely exists anymore. Its founder, Stewart Rhodes, no longer appears in public as often as he once did at far-right demonstrations or standoffs with the government."[35]

Organizational history

[edit]
Founder Stewart Rhodes

The Oath Keepers has been identified as one of the "largest and most prominent organizations of the militia/patriot movement."[36][37] Oath Keepers was founded in March 2009 by Elmer Stewart Rhodes,[38][39][40] a Yale Law School graduate, former U.S. Army paratrooper, and former staffer for Republican Congressman Ron Paul.[41] The SPLC lists Rhodes as a known extremist.[20] Under Rhodes's leadership, Oath Keepers in 2013 instructed its members to form "Citizen Preservation" teams, including militias, to operate in communities across the country to defend Americans from government intentionally letting the country descend into chaos then declaring martial law and scrapping the constitution, stating that "They are preparing to control and contain us, and to shoot us, but not preparing to feed us."[42][43][44]

On December 8, 2015, Rhodes was disbarred by the Montana Supreme Court for conduct violating the Montana Rules of Professional Conduct after refusing to respond to two bar grievances filed against him in the federal district court in Arizona.[45]

Rhodes is reported to have taken inspiration from the notion that Adolf Hitler could have been stopped if German soldiers and police had refused to follow orders.[46] Writing in S.W.A.T. Magazine in 2008, Rhodes asserts, "'It' (a full-blown totalitarian police state) cannot happen here if the majority of police and soldiers obey their oaths to defend the Constitution and refuse to enforce the unconstitutional edicts of the 'Leader'."[47]

Some researchers have observed that the organization appears to be essentially profit-seeking in nature, regardless of the precise ideological positions it takes, which have varied in their specifics over the years.[22] Former spokesperson for the Oath Keepers, Jason Van Tatenhove, has said of Stewart Rhodes and the Oath Keepers organization:[22][48]

[Rhodes] knows that he can tap into this and make money off of it, and continue to [build] his own personal army [by] weaving these narratives and telling these stories and planting these seeds.

Other people close to Rhodes have also described profit as being the animating force of the organization, and his own children describe the Oath Keepers as a "grift".[49][50]

Sedona Adams: ... Everything ran on donations. Sometimes [he'd] be on the phone saying, "Oh, well I need money. We need to create an emergency." And so they'd find something. That's why they started doing disaster relief.

It had had nothing to do with anything that they were set out to do, but they went into disaster relief because they had nothing else to do. They were like, "Oh, let's do some kind of a charity thing and make some money."

Dakota Adams: Anything that they could put up a GoFundMe for – anything that gets a GoFundMe link in front of the mailing list.

In an October 2020 interview, reporter Mike Giglio of The Atlantic stated that in the preceding years, the Oath Keepers regarded President Donald Trump as "someone in the White House that they fully support", in contrast to their skepticism of previous Republican administrations.[51] He also said that in recent years Rhodes's statements had become more "radical" and that because of this some members of the group with military experience, concerned that the types of violence they had witnessed overseas might occur in the United States, left the group.[51]

Nonprofit tax status

[edit]
Billboard in Pine River, Minnesota in July 2015

In 2009, Oath Keepers was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in Nevada,[52] but there is no record of it receiving tax-exempt status from the IRS, making any donations to the organization non-tax deductible.[53] The IRS has recognized at least seven local chapters affiliated with the Oath Keepers as tax-exempt organizations. Chapters in Virginia, Indiana, and Pennsylvania received tax-exempt status between 2016 and 2018. The Southern Nevada Oath Keepers and Oath Keepers of Josephine County were also granted tax-exempt status.[54][55][56]

In 2019, the IRS granted tax-exempt status to the Louisiana-based Oath Keepers Educational Foundation, whose stated purpose on filings is to "give veterans an opportunity for continued involvement in community service." Days before the January 6th United States Capitol attack, Oath Keepers' founder Stewart Rhodes appeared on a podcast and solicited charitable donations to the Oath Keepers Educational Foundation.[57][54] Following a joint report[58] from ISD and the Global Disinformation Index (GDI) on the funding operations of hate groups, an expert at the GDI submitted in their February 25, 2021, statement before the Subcommittee on National Security, International Development and Monetary Policy of the Committee on Financial Services U.S. House of Representatives said:

It can only be presumed that these funds, which listeners were notably able to deduct from their Federal taxes, went to transporting and lodging members of the group slated to participate in the ensuing riots.[59]

Membership

[edit]

The organization states that full membership is open to "currently serving military, reserves, National Guard, police, fire-fighters, other first responders (i.e. State Guard, Sheriff Posse/Auxiliary, Search & Rescue, EMT, other medical 1st responders, etc.) AND veterans/former members of those services," and that others who support the organization's mission can become associate members.[60][61] There is however an annual membership fee that all members must pay, and researchers have observed that the organization will accept essentially any member who pays this fee.[22]

Oath Keepers claimed 35,000 members in 2016, though researchers estimated the figure was about 5,000.[62][63][64] In 2020, the ADL estimated there were between 1,000 and 3,000 members but said the group's influence extends well beyond that figure.[65] In September 2021, hackers breached the group's servers to acquire a large cache of information, some of which was released to press outlets by Distributed Denial of Secrets, including the contact information of 38,000 apparent members. The cache included membership applications from active law enforcement officers, including some who sought to join after the 2021 United States Capitol attack.[66] Dozens of elected officials were also found to be linked to the group.[67]

A September 2022 report by the ADL said that, of 38,000 names on the Oath Keepers membership list, over 370 appear to be current employees in law enforcement agencies and over 100 are current military personnel.[68]

Prominent members

[edit]

In 2021 forty-eight state and local elected officials and ten sitting state lawmakers were members of the Oath Keepers group according to research by the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights.[69] The list included:[70]

Elmer Stewart Rhodes
[edit]

Rhodes is the leader of the Oath Keepers and was convicted of seditious conspiracy and evidence tampering with regard to the January 6 United States Capitol attack, as of November 29, 2022.[71][72][73]

Kellye SoRelle
[edit]

SoRelle, from Granville, Texas, general attorney for the Oath Keepers, has claimed to be the group's temporary leader. She is the girlfriend of the group's leader, Stewart Rhodes, who is in prison.[74] SoRelle is charged with tampering with documents for destroying and hiding potential evidence into the criminal investigation of the January 6 United States Capitol attack, entering Capitol grounds, and obstruction of an official proceeding.[75][76] On June 16, 2023, a federal judge ruled that she was mentally incompetent to stand trial and was unable to understand the charges against her, and her trial was postponed indefinitely.[74] She pleaded guilty on August 21, 2024 to one felony count of obstruction of justice and one misdemeanor count of breaching the Capitol grounds.[77]

Bobby Kinch
[edit]

It was not publicly known who led the Oath Keepers after Kelly SoRelle was ordered by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta not to have contact with the far-right organization, until, on January 4, 2025, Robert “Bobby” Kinch was exposed as the "current national director" of the Oath Keepers since 2022. Kinch's role was revealed by John Williams, a vigilante mole and self-described “independent activist” who had successfully infiltrated the American Patriots Three Percent and rose to a leadership position there.[78]

Bobby Kinch had been a veteran detective with the Las Vegas Municipal Police Department. In late 2013 fellow officers reported finding incendiary Facebook posts made by Kinch, one of which read “Let's just get this over! Race war, Civil, Revolution? Bring it! I'm about as fed up as a man (American, Christian, White, Heterosexual) can get! It's obviously coming to a boiling point! I say “FUCK IT”! I'm ready now! Sooner or later, I would say sooner than later!”[79][80]

In 2014 an LVMPD internal investigation also unearthed a photo showing Kinch pointing a handgun at an image Barack Obama, then President of the United States.[78]

Kinch voluntarily resigned from the LVMPD in 2016 after 23 years in the force and relocated to Duck Creek, Utah.[79]

Charles A. Dyer
[edit]

Dyer is a former U.S. Marine Corps sergeant who operated as a prominent advocate for the Oath Keepers, maintaining a popular YouTube channel and acting as a representative at Tea Party rallies. Known online as "July4Patriot," he made his anti-government videos during the administration of President Obama. As the criminal case against him developed he continued to make videos claiming that he was being targeted by law enforcement for his role as a "patriot."[81]

He was charged in 2010 with child rape and illegal weapons possession. Dyer evaded authorities and a search ensued, followed by his capture ten days later. In 2012, he was convicted of raping his seven-year-old daughter. The Oath Keepers severed ties with Dyer after his conviction, and later denied a relationship with him.[82][83]

Richard Mack
[edit]

Mack is a former sheriff of Graham County, Arizona and a political activist, and is an Oath Keepers Board Member. He is known for his role in a successful lawsuit brought against the U.S. federal government which alleged that portions of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act violated the U.S. Constitution. He is a former lobbyist for Gun Owners of America and a two-time candidate for U.S. Congress. Mack is also the founder of Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA), and established the "County Sheriff Project" movement, both of whom reaffirm what they claim is the constitutional power to refuse to enforce federal laws.[84]

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), Mack espouses a number of conspiracy and legal theories associated with the sovereign citizen and Posse Comitatus movements, chiefly, that sheriffs are the highest law enforcement authorities in the United States.[18][19][16]

Wendy Rogers
[edit]

Rogers is a state senator in Arizona, first elected in 2020. After members of Oath Keepers had been indicted for their alleged participation in the January 6 Capitol attack, Rogers stated on Twitter, "I am a member of the Oathkeepers and I really like their dedication to our Constitution and to our country," including a photo of her speaking to the Cottonwood, Arizona, chapter of the organization.[85]

Kelly Meggs
[edit]

Meggs led the Florida chapter[86] and the "infamous 'stack' formation of Oath Keepers inside the Capitol"[86] before entering Nancy Pelosi's office during the January 6 United States Capitol attack.[87] He was found guilty of seditious conspiracy at the same trial as Stewart Rhodes in November 2022.[88][89]

The Oath Keepers board of directors at one point also included Michele Imburgia, Rex H. McTyeire, John D. Shirley, Steven C. Homan, Jim Ayala, and Jay Stang.[90]

Participation in the January 6 United States Capitol attack

[edit]
For broader coverage of the event, see Planning of the January 6 United States Capitol attack § Oath Keepers, and January 6 United States Capitol attack.
January 6 United
States Capitol attack
Timeline • Planning
Background
2020 presidential election
and other causes
Related groups and persons
Participants
Notable people
Organizations
Law enforcement response
Aftermath
Biden inauguration
Investigations and charges
Corporate actions
Reactions
Impeachment and 2024 presidential election

Three suspected members of Oath Keepers were federally indicted in January 2020 for conspiracy for planning their activities during the attack on the U.S. Capitol, with six more being added to the indictment in February.[91] Eight to ten members of the group entered the Capitol wearing paramilitary gear, moving "in an organized and practiced fashion," according to the indictment. The group communicated with portable devices, with Watkins messaging to others, "We have a good group. We have about 30–40 of us. We are sticking together and sticking to the plan."[92][93][94] Prosecutors alleged one member sent a text message to a member of the anti-government Three Percenters group days before the incursion, suggesting using a boat to ferry a "Quick Response Team" and heavy weapons across the Potomac River to other members already in the Capitol.[95] Federal prosecutors were considering whether to pursue charges under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, which is typically used to prosecute organized crime syndicates.[96]

During the second impeachment trial of former President Trump, House impeachment managers presented an allegation that members of the Oath Keepers participated in efforts to interfere with the 2020 presidential election by discussing "a brazen plan to ferry 'heavy weapons' in a boat across the Potomac River into Washington and began training sessions 'for urban warfare, riot control and rescue operations' well before Election Day."[97] Impeachment managers also said that an Oath Keeper member noted that they were "'awaiting direction' from Mr. Trump about how to handle the results of the vote in the days that followed the election," and that another alleged member, Jessica M. Watkins, wrote a text message saying, "[i]f Trump asks me to come, I will."[97]

Prosecutors claimed in a March 2021 court filing that the group's founder and leader Stewart Rhodes was in contact with participants before, during and after the assault. Prosecutors said they recovered encrypted chat messages showing that "individuals, including those alleged to have conspired with [others], were actively planning to use force and violence." Under the title "DC OP: Jan 6 21," Rhodes stated in the chats that "quick reaction forces" outside Washington would be ready to respond if necessary and during the assault he directed members to rally on the southeast steps of the Capitol, from where they forcibly entered the building in a military-style "stack" formation.[98][99]

Thomas Caldwell, who was present during the incident, was jailed on conspiracy charges days after the attack, though in March 2021 federal judge Amit Mehta released him to home confinement pending trial, finding there was no evidence he entered the Capitol or planned to.[100] The FBI claimed that during the incursion Caldwell sent and received Facebook messages with "known and unknown Oath Keepers members," including sending the word "Inside," which received responses including, "All members are in the tunnels under capital seal them in. Turn on gas." Caldwell also allegedly received directions in navigating the Capitol, including "Tom all legislators are down in the Tunnels 3floors down" and "Go through back house chamber doors facing N left down hallway down steps."[101]

Citing private Facebook messages, prosecutors stated in a March 2021 court filing that during the weeks preceding the attack, Meggs had contacted Proud Boys who he said could serve as a "force multiplier" and that he had "organized an alliance" among the Oath Keepers, Proud Boys and the Florida chapter of the Three Percenters.[102]

In a June 2021 court filing arguing that a federal magistrate was wrong to release Oath Keeper member Jason Nolan from custody prior to his trial, prosecutors presented evidence he had stashed weapons in a Virginia hotel to arm a quick reaction force under the scenario described by Caldwell where Trump "calls us up as part of the militia to assist him inside DC." Nolan had been released after the magistrate ruled prosecutors had not established it was him who gave an anonymous interview to The Gateway Pundit the previous month describing his activities on January 6, but prosecutors presented evidence in their brief to assert it was Nolan.[103]

The Wall Street Journal reported in June 2021 that since the attack on the Capitol the Oath Keepers was splintering amid "a cash squeeze, internal discord, social-media cutoff and isolation from the financial system."[104]

Four members of the group—two from Florida, one from Indiana, and one from Alabama—have pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges arising from their roles in the attack on the Capitol; the four are cooperating with federal authorities.[105]

On November 23, 2021, Stewart Rhodes and the Nevada-incorporated[40] Oath Keepers entity were subpoenaed by the United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack. The committee's belief was that members of the organization have information about the preparations of the event, and what led to the ensuing violence.[106]

CNN reported in May 2022 that top leaders of the group had been interviewed by the FBI and providing phones and digital files detailing how they had communicated with people in Trump's orbit. Investigators obtained encrypted messages with high-profile, right-wing political organizers. Rhodes had called an unnamed person on the evening of the attack, asking to speak directly to the president, urging the person on the phone to tell Trump he should call on groups like Oath Keepers to "forcefully oppose the transfer of power."[107]

In February 2024, James Breheny, a regional organizer for the Oath Keepers, was sentenced to 36 months of probation. He had pleaded guilty in 2023 to a Capitol attack felony.[108]

Seditious conspiracy charges

[edit]

Twelve Oath Keepers have been charged with seditious conspiracy. Eleven were charged together in January 2022. William Todd Wilson was charged separately.[109][110]

Three pled guilty:

  • William Todd Wilson of Newton Grove, North Carolina, leader of the North Carolina Oath Keepers, pleaded guilty on May 4, 2022, to seditious conspiracy and obstruction of an official proceeding.[111][32] On December 18, 2024, he was sentenced to one year of home detention and three years of probation.[112]
  • Joshua James, of Arab, Alabama, head of the Alabama chapter, provided security for right-wing figures such as Roger Stone on January 6. In March 2022, he pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy and obstruction of official proceedings, and he agreed to cooperate with the government.[113] On December 20, 2024, he was sentenced to three years of probation.[114]
  • Brian Ulrich from Guyton, Georgia, pleaded guilty on April 29, 2022 to seditious conspiracy and obstruction.[31][115] On November 19, 2024, he was sentenced to three years of probation with six months of home detention and 120 hours of community service.[116]

The remaining nine pleaded not guilty. Two trials were planned for them.

On July 29, 2022, Justice Department prosecutors wrote in a court filing, "[...] no government agent possessed actual authority to order the defendants' criminal actions, and, in any event, it would have been objectively unreasonable to rely on any such order." Thus, they asked the judge to prohibit the defense argument that the Oath Keepers were following President Trump's orders.[117]

On May 5, 2023, the government filed a motion for upward departure, i.e., a longer sentence than guidelines recommend.[118]

Trial of Rhodes, Meggs, Harrelson, Watkins, and Caldwell

[edit]

On September 27, 2022, jury selection began. Each defendant faced up to 20 years in federal prison.[119]

The five on trial were:

  • Stewart Rhodes (R) founder of the Oath Keepers, has been charged with seditious conspiracy for forcibly resisting the peaceful transfer of power.[120][121] On January 6, Rhodes urged Trump to fight to stay in power, and suggested the Oath Keepers, acting as militia, would support him if he invoked the Insurrection Act.[122] Rhodes was convicted on the charge of seditious conspiracy.[73]
  • Kelly Meggs (R) founder of the Florida Oath Keepers from Dunnellon, Florida and husband to Oath Keeper Connie Meggs. See below.
  • Kenneth Harrelson (R) Oath Keeper from Titusville, Florida was seen in a military "stack"[clarification needed] formation and dressed in tactical gear. He was implicated in a Capitol breach. He has been indicted for seditious conspiracy.[123]
  • Jessica Watkins (R) Oath Keeper from Woodstock, Ohio was charged with conspiracy, obstruction, and sedition for her role in the military stack formation that broke into the Capitol yelling "They can't hold us."[124]
  • Thomas Caldwell (R) Oath Keeper from Berryville, Virginia, former Navy Lt. Commander who held a top-secret security clearance for decades and previously worked for the FBI.[125]

Three former members testified against them:[126]

  • Graydon Young, Oath Keeper from Florida,
  • Jason Dolan, Oath Keeper from Florida
  • Laura Steele, Oath Keeper from North Carolina who is awaiting trial and is sister to Graydon Young.

When Rhodes testified in November, he claimed he'd intended only to convince Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act and that the Oath Keepers had gone to Washington to provide security for key Republican figures. He said the Oath Keepers had not planned to breach the Capitol nor to cause violence.[127]

On November 29, 2022, Rhodes and Meggs were found guilty of seditious conspiracy; the other three were acquitted of the same charge. All five were found guilty of obstructing an official proceeding and aiding and abetting that action.[88]

On May 25, 2023, Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years and Meggs was sentenced to 12 years.[6]

On May 26, 2023, Watkins was sentenced to eight and a half years[128] and Harrelson was sentenced to four years.[129]

On January 10, 2025, Caldwell was sentenced to time served, having been found guilty on one count of tampering with evidence for deleting messages after the Capitol riot. Though he had originally been convicted of a second count of obstructing the joint session of Congress, this conviction had been dismissed following the Supreme Court case Fischer v. United States. He had been acquitted of all conspiracy charges.[130]

Trial of Minuta, Hackett, Moerschel, and Vallejo

[edit]

On January 23, 2023, Roberto Minuta, Joseph Hackett, David Moerschel, and Edward Vallejo were convicted of seditious conspiracy. They had been tried together.[131] On June 1, Minuta was sentenced to 54 months in prison and Vallejo to 36 months. On June 2, Moerschel was sentenced to 36 months in prison and Hackett 42 months. All four were given another 36 months of supervised release after their respective prison terms.[132]

Other charges

[edit]

Trial of Connie Meggs

[edit]

Connie Meggs, an Oath Keeper from Dunnellon, Florida, and wife of Kelly Meggs, was charged with conspiring to obstruct an official proceeding, aiding and abetting obstruction, conspiracy, and entering restricted grounds. On March 20, 2023, she was found guilty by a jury in Washington, D.C., of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and other felony charges.[133]

In August 2023, Connie Meggs was sentenced to 15 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release.[134]

Trial of Michael Greene

[edit]

Greene was a paid contractor who provided security to the Oath Keepers. He claimed not to be a member of the group. In May 2023, he was convicted of trespassing (a misdemeanor) related to the attack on the Capitol. On July 21, he was sentenced to probation and community service.[135]

Trial of Donovan Crowl and James Beeks

[edit]

On July 12, 2023, Donovan Crowl was convicted of conspiracy and civil disorder, following a stipulated bench trial. His co-defendant, James D. Beeks, was acquitted.[136]

Pardons and commutations

[edit]

Upon Trump's inauguration on January 20, 2025, he granted "a full, complete and unconditional pardon" to everyone convicted of offenses related to the Capitol attack, who by then numbered over a thousand. The only exceptions were nine Oath Keepers (Rhodes, Meggs, Harrelson, Caldwell, Watkins, Minuta, Vallejo, Moerschel, and Hackett) and five Proud Boys (Nordean, Biggs, Rehl, Pezzola, and Bertino). These 14 people had their sentences commuted to "time served," allowing them to be released from prison immediately, but their convictions stood.[137]

Caldwell had already been sentenced to time served when Trump issued the order.[130]

On January 24, the U.S. district court for the District of Columbia gave those Oath Keepers (excepting Caldwell) new conditions on their supervised release: they need court permission to enter Washington, D.C. and further specific permission to enter Capitol Square or the Capitol Building.[138]

Other antigovernment activities

[edit]

Federal land disputes

[edit]

Bundy Ranch standoff, 2014

[edit]
Main article: Bundy standoff

In 2014, armed Oath Keepers were present at the Bundy Ranch standoff, after agents of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) seized cattle from a rancher who was illegally grazing stock on federal land in Clark County, Nevada.[139][140]

Sugar Pine Mine standoff, 2015

[edit]

In 2015, armed Oath Keepers in the Pacific Northwest attended two disputes between gold miners and federal authorities. In April they gathered in Medford, Oregon, at the request of the owners of the Sugar Pine Mine near Galice, after the owners were ordered to stop working the mine by the Bureau of Land Management.[141][142] In August, they patrolled the White Hope Mine in the Helena National Forest, about 20 miles from Lincoln, Montana; the U.S. Forest Service said the miners had engaged in illegal construction and tree-felling.[143][144]

Crissy Field, 2017

[edit]

In August 2017, a permit was issued by the National Park Service for the August 26 use of Crissy Field[145] to hold a rally by a group calling itself 'Patriot Prayer'.[146] The group's spokesman, Joey Gibson, announced that the Oath Keepers would be providing event security,[147] confirmed to the San Francisco Examiner on August 18 by Stewart Rhodes.[148]

Anti-Hillary Clinton threats, 2016

[edit]

An article posted to the organization's official website on April 14, 2016, stated that if Hillary Clinton won the 2016 United States presidential election, "the result would probably be outright civil war in the U.S."[149][150] Later in 2016, Stewart Rhodes called on members to visit polling places incognito to "hunt down" and document suspected voter fraud.[151]

Threat of violence towards Oregon State Capitol, 2019

[edit]

In June 2019, Oregon Governor Kate Brown sent the Oregon State Police to bring 11 absent Republican state senators back to the State Capitol. The Republican state senators had gone into hiding to prevent a vote on a cap-and-trade proposal aimed at lowering greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 in order to combat climate change. The Oath Keepers reacted on June 20, 2019, by stating: "Gov. Brown, you want a civil war, because this is how you get a civil war". On June 22, 2019, a session of the Oregon Senate was canceled when the State Capitol was closed due to a warning from the Oregon state police of a "possible militia threat".[152][153][154][155]

Other armed protest activities

[edit]
See also: Oath Keepers in Kentucky

Military recruitment center presence, 2015

[edit]

Following the 2015 Chattanooga shootings at a strip mall military recruitment center and a naval operational support center in Tennessee, Oath Keepers and other militia groups began organizing armed gatherings outside of recruiting centers in several states, with the stated objective of providing protection to service members, who were barred from carrying weapons while on duty in civilian recruitment centers.[156] In response, the Army Command Operations Center Security Division issued a letter ordering soldiers not to interact with or acknowledge armed civilians outside of recruitment centers, and that "If questioned by these alleged concerned citizens, be polite, professional and terminate the conversation immediately and report the incident to local law enforcement," noting that the issuing officer is "sure the citizens mean well, but we cannot assume this in every case and we do not want to advocate this behavior."[156]

Kim Davis refusal to issue same-sex marriage licenses, 2015

[edit]
Main article: Kim Davis

Kim Davis is a former county clerk for Rowan County, Kentucky, who gained international attention in August 2015 when she defied a U.S. federal court order to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. On September 10, 2015, the Oath Keepers announced that they would travel to Rowan County, to prevent her arrest and jailing should she be held in contempt a second time for violating a court order prohibiting her from interfering with marriage licensing in her office.[157] The group aimed to block enforcement of contempt of court rulings against Davis, and said, "If the sheriff, who should be interceding, is not going to do his job and the governor is not going to do the governor's job of interceding, then we'll do it." The Oath Keepers also criticized the judge in the case, David Bunning, saying "this judge needs to be put on notice that his behavior is not going to be accepted and we'll be there to stop it and intercede ourselves if we have to."[157]

The following day, members were advised that Davis's legal team, acting on her behalf, had declined their offer to provide her a "security detail." The Oath Keepers issued a statement saying that while members were still welcome to visit Rowan County, it would only be unofficial.[158]

Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, 2018

[edit]

In February 2018, soon after the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, Oath Keepers founder Rhodes publicly called upon "tens of thousands" of the group's members to form militias to protect US schools and colleges.[159] He posted on the Oath Keepers' website in what he termed a National Call to Action: "Oath Keepers, in the wake of the horrific attack ... it is time to step up nationwide and defend our schools against the threat of mass murder. Enough is enough".[160]

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The Oath Keepers' bylaws state that, "No person who advocates, or has been or is a member, or associated with, any organization, formal or informal, that advocates discrimination, violence, or hatred toward any person based upon their race, nationality, creed, or color, shall be entitled to be a member or associate member."[161]

Founder Stewart Rhodes, who has said he is one-quarter Mexican, has disavowed racism and white supremacist ideology on his blog.[162] He has likened the far-right extremist occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge to the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, saying, "Ammon Bundy's occupation of an empty building is essentially the same as civil-disobedience sit-ins that the political left has engaged in for decades, from anti-war and civil rights protesters in the 60s and 70s."

Board member Richard Mack has said that despite the contributing role of southern U.S. sheriffs in preserving White supremacy, "constitutional sheriffs" could have protected civil rights icon Rosa Parks.[163]

In 2015, the Oathkeepers website republished an opinion piece by Brandon Smith claiming that, "[...]there is no such thing as white privilege or male privilege: In reality, there is only institutionalized 'privilege' for victim-status groups. There is no privilege for whites, males, white males or straight white males. ... People should not feel guilty for being born the way they are, and this includes us 'white male devils.'"[164][163]

On June 10, 2017, the Oath Keepers participated in providing security in a "March Against Sharia," which were rallies coordinated by ACT for America.[165][166][167][168]

Opposition to Black Lives Matter and antifa

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Main article: Ferguson unrest

In late November 2014, during the unrest in Ferguson, the Oath Keepers put out a national request to its members to help in the city after the grand jury decision was released in the case of the shooting of Michael Brown. About the perceived failure of the government's response to the unrest, the organization's founder, Stewart Rhodes, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "We thought they were going to do it right this time, but when Monday rolled around and they didn't park the National Guard at these businesses, that's when we said we have got to do something." On December 2, 2014, volunteer security guards associated with the Oath Keepers kept armed watch on Ferguson rooftops, ignoring a police order to stop, based on a city ordinance relating to security personnel.[169] According to a member, the ordinance only applied to security employees, while the Oath Keepers were volunteers.[169]

In August 2015, four members of the group appeared again on the streets of Ferguson, following peaceful street demonstrations on the anniversary of Brown's shooting.[46][170][171][172] According to an article in The Washington Post, "The men—all of them white and heavily armed—said they were in the area to protect someone who worked for the Web site InfoWars, which is affiliated with talk-radio conspiracy theorist and self-described 'thought criminal against Big Brother' Alex Jones." The Oath Keepers claimed to be on the side of the protestors.[173] St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar told the newspaper that the Oath Keepers' "presence was both unnecessary and inflammatory."[173]

One Ferguson activist, Ryan Herring, described their presence as intimidating and frightening and criticized the Oath Keepers for their suggestion that protestors should use their legal right to carry firearms by saying that this would have increased the tension with the police openly. Sam Andrews, a member of the Oath Keepers, contended that the protestors calmed down when the Oath Keepers arrived at the protest.[174]

St. Louis County police officer Dan Page was relieved of duty in 2014 after pushing and threatening with arrest CNN journalist Don Lemon on live television in Ferguson.[175] Subsequently, an hour-long videotaped speech made by Page to an Oath Keepers meeting was found on YouTube. In the speech, Page boasted, "I'm also a killer. I've killed a lot, and if I need to I'll kill a whole bunch more."[175] Page also denounced hate crime laws, disparaged Muslims, and espoused Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories (Page referred to Obama as "that illegal alien claiming to be president").[175] The YouTube video contained a disclaimer stating that Page's opinions did not reflect those of the local chapter or national organization.[176]

The group's activities in Ferguson led to them being labeled "vigilantes" by some journalists.[177]

Mike Giglio of The Atlantic reported that at a July 2020 meeting at a Veterans of Foreign Wars hall in Rutherford County, Tennessee, founder Rhodes, speaking of the events of the racial unrest in the United States that year, said that antifa and other protesters "are insurrectionists, and we have to suppress that insurrection" and that "eventually they're going to be using IEDs" and consequently "us old vets and younger ones are going to end up having to kill these young kids and they're going to die believing they were fighting Nazis."[178]

After three people were killed in protests in Portland, Oregon, and Kenosha, Wisconsin, Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes tweeted, "The first shot [of a civil war] has been fired brother."[179] Following the deaths during protests in Kenosha and the George Floyd protests in Portland, Oregon, Rhodes referred to antifa and Black Lives Matter protestors as attempting an "open Communist insurrection". Stating that they were engaged in civil war he asked President Trump to declare a nationwide insurrection to be opposed by a federalized National Guard to engage with the protestors. If Trump failed to do this Rhodes said that the Oath Keepers would. Twitter responded by banning his and the Oath Keepers' accounts.[180]

Reception

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Larry Keller wrote in the Southern Poverty Law Center's (SPLC's) 2009 report The Second Wave: Return of the Militias that the Oath Keepers "may be a particularly worrisome example of the Patriot revival."[181] Keller described Richard Mack, an Oath Keeper, as a "longtime militia hero"[181][182] and quoted him as having said, "The greatest threat we face today is not terrorists; it is our federal government. ... One of the best and easiest solutions is to depend on local officials, especially the sheriff, to stand against federal intervention and federal criminality."[181] Mack, a former sheriff, responded by denying the claims, saying, "I have had no contact with any militia group and have never been a member of any militia."[183][184] Mark Potok, a senior fellow at the SPLC, said in an interview that the group has no history of political violence, but that, "The core ideas of these groups relate to the fear that elites in this country and around the world are slowly and steadily and nefariously moving us towards a one-world government, the so-called New World Order."[185]

In 2009, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) wrote in a report that, "The 'orders' the Oath Keepers refuse [to obey] reveal their extreme conspiratorial mindset, because the 'orders' are not instructions ever likely to be actually handed down by Obama or his officials; instead, they are reflective of the anti-government conspiracy theories embraced by the extreme right."[186]

Quoting the Las Vegas Review-Journal in 2009, paleoconservative political commentator Pat Buchanan wrote for MSNBC: "Oath Keepers, depending on where one stands, are either strident defenders of liberty or dangerous peddlers of paranoia." Buchanan himself concluded that "America was once their country. They sense they are losing it. And they are right."[187][188]

Fox News Radio host Lou Dobbs spoke with founder Stewart Rhodes on his radio show in 2009 and criticized the SPLC for "perpetuating the same kind of intolerance it claims to condemn."[189] On Hardball with Chris Matthews, Matthews questioned Rhodes about his "vigilante group" and on his "strange view of the world."[189]

Protesters have accused the group of racism, especially after groups of white members armed with rifles congregated in Ferguson, Missouri during demonstrations related to police brutality in 2014.[170]

See also

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References

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Further reading

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Oath Keepers

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The Oath Keepers is a non-partisan American organization founded in 2009 by , comprising primarily current and former , officers, and who pledge to uphold their oaths to the U.S. by refusing to obey orders perceived as unconstitutional. The group's core document, the "Declaration of Orders We Will Not Obey," lists ten specific unlawful directives its members vow not to follow, including of the citizenry, imposition of , or deployment against states without consent. The emphasizes practical training in firearms proficiency, , and constitutional education to prepare for civil unrest or natural disasters, positioning itself as a defender against perceived government overreach. Members have provided security at events such as political protests and ranch standoffs, including the 2014 Bundy affair in , where they formed human chains to deter federal agents. The organization grew to thousands of members across chapters nationwide, attracting those concerned with erosion of . Despite its stated commitment to lawful resistance, the Oath Keepers faced intense scrutiny after the , 2021, events at the U.S. Capitol, where founder and several associates were convicted of for plotting to use force to oppose the transfer of presidential power. received an 18-year sentence in 2023, marking a significant legal reckoning for the group's leadership and highlighting tensions between its anti-tyranny rhetoric and actions deemed insurrectionary by federal courts. These convictions, based on evidence of quick-reaction teams and encrypted planning, have led to the group's effective dissolution amid asset forfeitures and membership declines.

Founding and Ideology

Origins and Establishment

The Oath Keepers was founded by , a U.S. Army veteran and graduate, in early 2009. Rhodes, born in 1966 in , served as an Army until honorably discharged in 1986 following a parachuting injury that left him nearly blind in one eye; he later earned a in from the , in 1998, worked as a staffer for Congressman , clerked for an justice, and practiced law in western states until his in 2015 for professional neglect. Rhodes established the group amid concerns over potential government overreach following the and the election of President , evolving it from a political he maintained in 2008 into a formal organization dedicated to reinforcing the oaths of military personnel, law enforcement officers, and first responders to defend the U.S. Constitution against domestic threats. The inaugural public event occurred on April 19, 2009, at Lexington Green in —site of the first shots of the —to commemorate the 234th anniversary of that battle, where participants pledged adherence to 10 specific "Orders We Will Not Obey," including refusals to participate in of citizens, detention without , or enforcement deemed unconstitutional. Initially structured as a nonpartisan nonprofit with chapters across states, the Oath Keepers targeted recruitment among veterans and active-duty service members through online platforms and rallies, emphasizing on constitutional limits on power and preparation for scenarios of or civil unrest. Membership grew rapidly in its first year, with positioning the group as a defender of individual liberties against perceived encroachments by federal authorities, drawing from historical precedents like the Founders' resistance to tyranny.

Core Principles and the Oath

The ' foundational commitment stems from the U.S. and oath of enlistment and , which pledges to "support and defend the against all enemies, foreign and domestic" and to "bear to the same." This , administered under 5 U.S.C. § 3331 for federal officers and mirrored in enlistment per 10 U.S.C. § 502, prioritizes constitutional fidelity over unquestioning obedience to superiors. The group interprets this as imposing a on current and former service members to refuse orders conflicting with constitutional protections, viewing blind adherence as enabling potential tyranny. Central to their principles is the "Declaration of Orders We Will Not Obey," issued by founder on March 3, 2009, which enumerates ten categories of directives deemed unconstitutional that members vow to disregard. This document asserts that such refusal honors the oath's intent to prevent domestic threats to liberty, drawing from historical precedents like the ' emphasis on individual responsibility for unlawful commands. The declaration specifies non-compliance with orders to disarm civilians, conduct warrantless home searches, confiscate private property without consent, impose absent state approval, blockade cities, invade sovereign states, detain Americans as enemy combatants without trial, enforce restrictive speech or assembly curbs, or infringe core freedoms. These principles underscore a broader of vigilance against perceived federal overreach, emphasizing decentralized resistance to preserve republican governance as outlined in the Constitution's original framework. Members, primarily veterans, position themselves as guardians enforcing limits on power through personal accountability rather than unless in self-defense. While critics from organizations like the characterize this stance as anti- , the group's self-articulated focus remains on oath-bound restraint against erosions of enumerated .

Interpretation of Constitutional Duties

The Oath Keepers interpret the constitutional oaths sworn by active-duty , veterans, officers, and as paramount obligations to defend the U.S. against all enemies, foreign and domestic, superseding any conflicting directives from superiors or government authorities. This view posits that such oaths—particularly the officer's commission oath to "support and defend the ...against all enemies, foreign and domestic"—impose a lifelong to refuse orders deemed unconstitutional, prioritizing fidelity to enumerated and over hierarchical obedience. Founder , a former paratrooper and Yale-trained lawyer, emphasized this in the group's founding documents, arguing that historical precedents like the underscore personal accountability for unlawful commands, extending the oath's binding force beyond active service to prevent perceived encroachments on liberties such as the Second and Fourth Amendments. Central to this interpretation is the a ten-point published by on , 2009—the anniversary of the —to reaffirm members' commitment to constitutional supremacy. The declaration explicitly vows non-compliance with orders to disarm civilians, conduct warrantless searches or seizures of property (including firearms and essentials), detain U.S. citizens as "enemy combatants" without or subject them to military tribunals, impose on states without legislative consent, deploy forces to subjugate dissenting states under pretexts like , blockade cities for purposes, confine citizens in camps or under without legal basis, enforce infringements on First Amendment rights to speech, assembly, or , or collaborate with foreign troops or international bodies to suppress American sovereignty. This framework reflects a strict constructionist reading of the , viewing federal overreach—such as or emergency powers—as existential threats akin to those prompting the , with members trained to identify and resist them through or defensive standoffs rather than aggression. Critics, including organizations monitoring , contend this selective interpretation fosters by conflating policy disagreements with constitutional crises, potentially undermining , though Oath Keepers maintain it aligns with the framers' intent for an armed citizenry as a check on . Rhodes articulated this duty in early writings, asserting that inaction against domestic "enemies" like bureaucratic expansion equates to oath-breaking, a stance informed by his of historical oaths and principles. Empirical adherence varied, with members citing the declaration in trainings and operations to justify armed presence at events perceived as flashpoints for government overreach, such as Bundy Ranch in 2014.

Organizational Structure

Leadership and Key Figures

, born Elmer Stewart Rhodes III in 1966, founded the Oath Keepers on April 19, 2009, during a rally in . A former U.S. Army honorably discharged due to injury in the 1980s, earned a B.A. in from the in 1998 and a J.D. from in 2001. He clerked for the , practiced as an attorney in western states, and served as a staffer for Congressman . As the organization's founder and national leader, shaped its focus on recruiting current and former military personnel, law enforcement officers, and first responders bound by oaths to the U.S. Constitution. He directed operations, including armed standoffs and security at protests, until his arrest on January 12, 2022, on charges of related to the , 2021, U.S. Capitol events; was convicted and sentenced to 18 years in prison in May 2023, though his sentence was commuted by President on January 20, 2025, leading to his release. The operated with a national leadership structure overseeing state, county, and local chapters, emphasizing paramilitary training and constitutional adherence among members skilled in survival and security. Founding board member , a former and founder of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, contributed to early organizational development. Jason Van Tatenhove served as a former national spokesman, later testifying against the group in congressional hearings. Prominent chapter leaders included , head of the Florida chapter, who coordinated security operations and was convicted of in connection with , receiving a 12-year sentence in 2023. Following ' arrest, interim shifted to a and national staff, with figures like Bobby Kinch briefly serving as Utah state leader and proposed board member before assuming and quickly relinquishing the role of president in 2022; the group experienced fragmentation thereafter, with no stable national as of early 2025.

Membership Demographics and Recruitment

Membership in the Oath Keepers was predominantly drawn from individuals with professional backgrounds in , , and emergency response, reflecting the group's emphasis on oaths sworn to defend the against perceived tyranny. Approximately two-thirds of members consisted of former or officers, while around 10% were active-duty in these sectors. A leaked database containing over 38,000 entries—representing individuals who paid dues at some point, though not necessarily active or ideologically committed participants—revealed 117 currently serving U.S. members, 11 in reserves, and an estimated 3,800 veterans; 373 active officers (including 10 police chiefs and 11 sheriffs); about 1,100 former personnel; 81 elected officials or candidates; and dozens of active such as firefighters and paramedics. The group also attracted some from other fields, including educators, government employees, and business owners, but and public safety affiliations dominated profiles. Geographically, membership was distributed nationwide, with the highest concentrations in states like , which topped lists with thousands of entries in the leaked data, followed by , , New York, and . Estimates of total active membership varied, with internal claims reaching 30,000 but external analyses placing it between 1,000 and 5,000. Recruitment targeted veterans, active-duty personnel, and by appealing to their sense of duty and constitutional loyalty, often framing participation as a continuation of oath-bound service rather than militia activism. Common entry points included social media platforms like (cited by about 1,000 applicants in a leaked roster) and (around 800), alongside right-wing media such as Infowars and , gun shows, Tea Party events, and personal referrals from colleagues or family in . Applicants frequently expressed motivations tied to , such as a desire to "serve my country" after being rejected from due to disabilities (mentioned ~450 times) or overlapping with prepper communities via podcasts and survivalist literature. The group avoided explicit militia labeling to broaden appeal, rejecting overt and invoking colonial-era symbolism to attract those wary of overreach. The Oath Keepers operated as a decentralized organization without a central national incorporation as a tax-exempt entity, functioning largely as an headquartered in , with authority devolved to autonomous local chapters that handled their own operations and finances. This structure enabled flexibility but also allowed chapters to pursue independent legal formations, including non-profit incorporations to access tax benefits under U.S. . While the national group did not hold 501(c)(3) status, affiliated entities framed their activities as educational or civic to qualify for exemptions, reflecting a strategy to leverage IRS criteria for organizations promoting and constitutional rather than overt paramilitary training. Several chapter-level and related organizations secured 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status from the IRS, permitting tax-deductible donations. For instance, the Oath Keepers Educational Foundation, based in , received approval in 2019 for purported educational purposes, though it subsequently lost this status amid scrutiny following the group's involvement in the , 2021, Capitol events. Similarly, chapters in (incorporated December 2017), , and Southern obtained exemptions, enabling them to avoid taxes on funds raised for local activities while the national leadership coordinated broader initiatives without direct fiscal oversight. These exemptions persisted for some affiliates into 2022 despite the group's designation as an extremist organization by federal assessments, as IRS revocation requires evidence of disqualifying political intervention or private benefit rather than ideological content alone. Financially, the Oath Keepers sustained operations through voluntary membership dues, private contributions, and digital , eschewing formal payrolls or endowments in favor of support from individuals aligned with its constitutionalist ideology. Dues-paying members numbered in the hundreds per state in some cases, with payments continuing via platforms like through at least mid-2022, even after the national leadership faced indictments. Funds supported acquisitions, including over $40,000 expended on firearms, , and tactical gear in January 2021 alone, as detailed in federal court records from trials. platforms facilitated additional revenue for training, travel, and post-event legal defenses, with external donors—such as political allies—covering defense costs for founder exceeding standard member contributions. This model, while opaque due to the lack of mandatory public disclosures for the core entity, drew ional attention for enabling rapid mobilization without reliance on government grants or corporate sponsorships.

Early Activities (2009–2019)

Interventions in Federal Land Disputes

The Oath Keepers gained prominence through their armed presence during the 2014 Bundy Ranch standoff in , where federal (BLM) agents sought to impound cattle owned by rancher for unpaid grazing fees exceeding $1 million on public lands. On April 12, 2014, approximately 100 Oath Keepers members, comprising about one-third of the assembled militias, positioned themselves as a to deter federal enforcement, openly carrying firearms in a show of force that prompted the BLM to withdraw to avoid escalation. The group's founder, , coordinated logistics and emphasized non-aggressive deterrence, framing the intervention as fulfillment of their oath to resist perceived federal overreach on constitutional property rights. In the aftermath, the standoff resolved without violence, but it amplified Oath Keepers' recruitment, with later crediting the event for boosting membership to over 1,000 active participants nationwide. Federal prosecutors subsequently charged Bundy and associates with conspiracy, but Oath Keepers members faced no direct charges from the incident, though the event drew scrutiny from for potential coordination. The group maintained a more cautious stance during the 2015–2016 occupation of the in , led by to protest the resentencing of ranchers Dwight and Steven Hammond for on . While individual Oath Keepers affiliates arrived in the area for security roles, the organization's leadership publicly disavowed the takeover on January 3, 2016, warning members against participation to avoid entrapment or provocation of federal response. described the action as tactically flawed and likely to undermine broader anti-federal grievances, though some members provided peripheral support before the 41-day occupation ended with arrests, including Bundy's. No Oath Keepers leaders were prosecuted for the events, but the episode highlighted internal debates over direct confrontation versus defensive postures in land-use conflicts.

Armed Support at Civil Disobedience Events

In late November 2014, amid civil unrest in , following a grand jury's decision not to indict a in the shooting death of Michael Brown, members of the Oath Keepers deployed to the area to provide armed security for local businesses. Armed with and positioned on rooftops and streets, approximately a dozen volunteers patrolled to deter and , claiming they acted at the invitation of property owners concerned about repeat violence from earlier riots. Local police instructed the group to disperse, citing concerns over and potential escalation, after which the Oath Keepers withdrew but maintained they would return if requested. The group's presence drew criticism for heightening racial tensions in a predominantly Black community, with four white Oath Keepers members openly carrying military-style rifles and sidearms during patrols, which some observers viewed as provocative amid ongoing protests. leaders, including founder , defended the action as a constitutional exercise of Second Amendment rights to protect citizens from perceived threats, including both rioters and potential government overreach, without initiating confrontation. No arrests of members occurred during this deployment, and they emphasized adherence to their "orders we will not obey" declaration by avoiding engagement with . In August 2015, coinciding with the one-year anniversary of Brown's death and renewed protests, returned to Ferguson with similar armed security details, again focusing on business protection amid fears of renewed unrest. This second involvement reinforced their pattern of offering voluntary, armed support at sites of , positioning themselves as a counter to both mob violence and state inaction, though local activists and authorities reiterated concerns over unauthorized militias complicating de-escalation efforts. The Ferguson deployments exemplified ' broader early strategy of inserting themselves into high-tension public demonstrations under the banner of citizen defense, distinct from direct participation in the protests themselves.

Responses to Perceived Government Overreach

The Oath Keepers interpreted certain federal actions as violations of constitutional limits on government authority, particularly in areas involving property rights, Second Amendment protections, and , prompting deployments of armed members to deter or counter what they described as tyrannical overreach. Founded in 2009 amid concerns over post-9/11 expansions of federal power, the group emphasized non-violent resistance but maintained readiness to defend against perceived unconstitutional orders, such as gun confiscations during emergencies, drawing from historical examples like the post-Hurricane Katrina seizures in New Orleans in , which Rhodes cited as evidence of local and federal officials disregarding individual rights. A prominent early response occurred during the April 2014 Bundy Ranch standoff in , where agents attempted to enforce court orders by impounding Cliven Bundy's cattle over unpaid grazing fees accrued since 1993, totaling approximately $1 million. members, including founder , arrived with firearms to support Bundy, positioning themselves on ridges overlooking federal positions and vowing to resist if agents initiated violence, framing the incident as a test of federal encroachment on private land use under the guise of environmental regulation. The standoff de-escalated after federal forces withdrew on April 12, 2014, following the arrival of hundreds of armed supporters, though no shots were fired by . In November 2014, amid unrest in , following the August 9 shooting of Michael Brown by Darren Wilson, Oath Keepers deployed approximately a dozen armed volunteers to rooftops and streets to guard local businesses against and , which had damaged over 300 structures since the grand jury's decision not to indict Wilson on November 24. Members, many former military or , carried rifles and handguns openly under Missouri's open-carry laws, asserting their presence protected Second Amendment rights and from both rioters and potential government imposition of or gun restrictions. Local police ordered them to stand down on December 1, 2014, citing interference with operations, leading to their withdrawal, though the group maintained no intent to engage authorities directly. The group also mobilized monitoring efforts during Operation Jade Helm 15, a U.S. exercise spanning to across seven states, including , involving simulations with up to 1,200 troops practicing urban operations. Perceiving it as a pretext for federal seizure of amid secessionist rumors—fueled by maps labeling the state "hostile"—Oath Keepers issued alerts and encouraged members to observe exercises for signs of overreach, such as internment camps or civilian disarmament, though no such actions materialized and the operation concluded without incident. Governor deployed 1,000 state guard members on , , to oversee the drills, reflecting broader public echoed by the group.

Positions on Social and Political Movements

Opposition to Federal Policies on Race and Religion

The Oath Keepers expressed opposition to federal policies perceived as enabling the imposition of law, viewing such accommodations as incompatible with the U.S. and a threat to national sovereignty. Founder warned of a "creep of law into American cities," framing not merely as a but as a political seeking to supplant American legal systems. The group provided armed security at "March Against " events organized by in 2017, citing concerns over radical and as motivations for countering what they described as attempts to replace with foreign religious doctrines. Their "Declaration of Orders We Will Not Obey," published in 2009, implicitly rejected federal directives that could enforce or tolerate parallel legal systems under religious pretexts, such as applying laws of war to civilians branded as threats. On race-related federal policies, the Oath Keepers maintained a stated commitment to color-blind , with bylaws explicitly barring members who advocated racial supremacy or to emphasize over group identities. criticized government actions with racial dimensions, such as post-Hurricane Katrina evacuations that disproportionately affected residents and involved confiscations, arguing these exemplified unconstitutional overreach rather than legitimate civil enforcement. During the 2014 , the group positioned itself against what it described as Obama administration-fueled racial tensions, offering to train and arm protesters in against potential federal or local disarmament orders, while alleging broader policies provoked a "race " through and identity-based divisions. In 2020, amid demonstrations, Oath Keepers members guarded properties in cities like Kenosha and Louisville, rejecting narratives of systemic in federal policing policies and instead attributing unrest to orchestrated chaos funded by external actors, in line with their anti-tyranny framework. This stance reflected broader distrust of federal interventions framed as equity measures, which they saw as eroding equal protection under the law. The Oath Keepers viewed elections as vulnerable to disruptions from leftist agitators, such as Antifa, and potential voter irregularities, prompting calls for members to serve as informal observers during the presidential . Founder warned of post-election violence, particularly if won, citing expectations of riots by anti-Trump protesters and the need to safeguard polling sites from interference. In October , the group issued guidance urging armed members to conduct "incognito " by blending into crowds at polling places nationwide, without uniforms or overt displays of weapons, to deter threats while avoiding legal violations. This initiative drew immediate scrutiny, with the New Jersey Democratic State Committee filing a federal lawsuit on October 28, 2016, alleging that Oath Keepers' planned armed presence constituted voter intimidation under the Voting Rights Act. The suit targeted specific members intending to monitor urban polling locations in plainclothes but carrying concealed firearms, arguing it would suppress turnout among minority voters fearing reprisal. U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares issued a temporary restraining order on November 1, 2016, prohibiting armed or uniformed observation within 100 feet of polling sites, though allowing unarmed, non-uniformed monitoring; the order was later extended through Election Day. Oath Keepers complied publicly, emphasizing their intent was defensive protection rather than intimidation, but critics, including civil rights groups, maintained the mere presence of militia-affiliated individuals heightened tensions. No widespread reports emerged of Oath Keepers-orchestrated disruptions during the voting, and post-election, shifted focus to guarding Trump transition events against anticipated leftist backlash, aligning with their broader anti-government vigilance. Earlier elections, such as , saw minimal documented involvement, with the group's energies directed more toward standoffs like Bundy Ranch than electoral monitoring. These actions reflected Oath Keepers' core position that elections faced existential threats from unaccountable federal overreach and domestic radicals, necessitating citizen-led deterrence to preserve constitutional processes.

Role in 2020 Election Protests

Buildup to January 6, 2021

In the weeks following the November 3, 2020, U.S. presidential election, Oath Keepers founder publicly and privately rejected the results as fraudulent, framing the incoming Biden administration as an existential threat to the republic. On November 9, 2020, Rhodes posted on the group's online forum: "We aren't getting through this without a . Too late for that. Prepare your mind, body, and spirit. You will be called upon to fight," urging members to stockpile weapons and ammunition in anticipation of conflict. This rhetoric escalated in private communications, where Rhodes warned of a "bloody " if the certification proceeded, stating on a December 2020 that patriots must be ready to oppose tyranny "." Rhodes and senior leaders, including Florida chapter head Kelly Meggs, began coordinating opposition to the January 6, 2021, congressional certification of electoral votes, viewing it as the last opportunity to block what they described as an illegitimate . In mid-December 2020, drafted and circulated an eight-page letter to President Trump, imploring him to invoke the , declare , seize voting machines nationwide, and authorize arrests of election officials to "rerun" the under oversight. attempted to deliver the letter through intermediaries, including the group's , and expressed frustration in encrypted messages when Trump did not act, noting "Trump is not going to do it" and that Oath Keepers must prepare independently. By late December 2020, Oath Keepers leadership used encrypted Signal group chats to organize member travel to Washington, D.C., instructing participants to arrive in pairs or small groups to evade detection and to bring protective gear such as plate carriers, radios, and medical supplies. Approximately 20-30 members from multiple states converged, funded in part by group donations exceeding $50,000 for logistics. Concurrently, they established a "quick reaction force" (QRF) outside D.C. city limits, caching over 30 firearms, thousands of rounds of ammunition, smoke grenades, and other equipment in Virginia hotel rooms, with contingency plans to ferry arms across the Potomac River by boat if ordered into the capital. These preparations reflected Rhodes' directive for members to train as if for combat, including practicing "stack" formations for breaching barriers, while emphasizing operational security to avoid scrutiny. An FBI tip from a concerned Oath Keepers member in November 2020 highlighted ' mobilization for potential violence but was not acted upon prior to January 6. The group's actions were positioned as defending constitutional oaths against perceived federal overreach, though trial evidence later substantiated coordinated intent to disrupt the process forcibly if Trump invoked them or if opportunities arose.

Actions at the U.S. Capitol

Members of the Oath Keepers, including leaders such as Kelly Meggs and Jessica Watkins, arrived at the U.S. Capitol grounds on January 6, 2021, equipped with tactical vests, radios, and protective gear, positioning themselves amid the growing crowd protesting the electoral vote certification. As barriers were breached around 1:00 p.m., groups of Oath Keepers advanced toward the building in "stack" formations—a single-file, military-style line used for coordinated movement through hostile environments—communicating via encrypted channels like Signal and Zello apps to maintain operational cohesion. These stacks, comprising 10 to 15 individuals each, navigated through the crowd and over police lines, with one group led by Watkins entering the Capitol via the East Rotunda doors shortly after 2:10 p.m. Once inside, the Oath Keepers moved through hallways and corridors, including areas near the Senate chamber, for periods ranging from 20 to 40 minutes, with some members filming their progress and discussing opposition to the certification process. They did not widely engage in property destruction or direct assaults on officers but confronted law enforcement in doorways, retreating when met with chemical irritants deployed by Capitol Police around 2:30 p.m. For instance, participants including Joshua James and Roberto Minuta proceeded to the Crypt and other restricted zones before regrouping outside after approximately 30 minutes. Founder Stewart Rhodes remained outside the building, directing actions from the vicinity and a nearby hotel, without personally entering the Capitol. The group's on-site activities contributed to the temporary disruption of congressional proceedings, as their organized entry amplified pressure on defending forces, though no firearms were discharged or deployed by Oath Keepers within the Capitol. Approximately 20 Oath Keepers members breached the building, with others securing perimeters or awaiting signals from a pre-positioned "quick reaction force" in —stockpiled with rifles, ammunition, and explosives but not activated for transport into D.C. that day. Post-entry, members exfiltrated orderly, rendezvousing at designated points without further escalation.

Coordination and Planning Claims

Prosecutors alleged that Oath Keepers leaders, including founder , coordinated planning for the , 2021, events through encrypted communications on platforms like Signal and private channels, beginning in late November 2020 and intensifying in December. These efforts included discussions of opposing the electoral certification by force if necessary, with urging members in a November 2020 message to prepare for a "bloody and desperate fight" against perceived tyranny. Evidence presented at trial included Signal group chats where participants, such as and Thomas Caldwell, exchanged logistics on December 30, 2020, confirming travel plans and readiness for action at the Capitol. A central element of the coordination claims involved the establishment of "Quick Reaction Force" (QRF) teams stationed outside Washington, D.C., equipped to rapidly deliver firearms and ammunition into the city if called upon during the Capitol events. Prosecutors introduced and documents showing that members, including Roberto Minuta and Hackett, positioned themselves at a hotel on as part of this QRF setup, with weapons cached nearby; reportedly directed these preparations via private calls and messages. extended to virtual meetings, such as a GoToMeeting session titled "florida dc op chat" attended by defendant William Moerschel, where operational details for D.C. travel and activities were discussed. The indictments, unsealed progressively from January 2021 onward, charged that this coordination constituted an agreement among at least 11 core members to forcibly disrupt the congressional proceedings, with overt acts including of Capitol tunnels in November 2020 and stockpiling gear like tactical vests and radios. , including decrypted messages accessed by investigators, demonstrated hierarchical direction from , who emphasized civil war-like contingencies while expressing doubts about then-President Trump's invocation of the Insurrection Act. Juries in multiple trials from 2022 to 2023 convicted and several associates on these counts, validating the government's portrayal of premeditated group planning over claims of spontaneous security provision.

Indictments and Seditious Conspiracy Allegations

In January 2022, a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia returned a superseding indictment charging Oath Keepers founder Elmer Stewart Rhodes III and ten other members with seditious conspiracy, marking an escalation from prior charges related to the January 6, 2021, events at the U.S. Capitol. The indictment, unsealed on January 13, 2022, alleged that the defendants began conspiring as early as November 2020 to oppose by force the certification of the 2020 presidential election results during the congressional joint session on January 6. Prosecutors claimed the group viewed the election outcome as fraudulent and prepared for potential civil war, using encrypted messaging platforms like Signal and MeWe to coordinate activities while instructing members to delete evidence of their plans. The count, under 18 U.S.C. § 2384, accused the defendants of agreeing to levy war against the or oppose its authority by force, with additional charges including to obstruct an official proceeding, unlawful entry, and tampering with documents. Key allegations centered on the group's operational preparations: and co-defendants reportedly amassed firearms, ammunition, and tactical gear, establishing a "quick reaction force" (QRF) in a hotel approximately 30 miles from the Capitol, equipped with AR-15 rifles and ready to transport weapons into the city if needed. On , prosecutors alleged that approximately ten Oath Keepers, including chapter leader , entered the Capitol in a coordinated "stack" formation, breaching restricted areas while others remained outside as sentinels or prepared the QRF for escalation. The indictment further claimed directed members to treat the operation as a "do or die" mission to halt the electoral certification, framing it as resistance against a perceived tyrannical . Subsequent indictments expanded the seditious conspiracy allegations to additional Oath Keepers members. In June 2022, for instance, another member was charged in connection with the , bringing the total facing this rare —punishable by up to 20 years—to at least eleven initial defendants, with prosecutors citing evidence from seized devices showing discussions of "" and historical parallels to the . These charges built on earlier filings from 2021, which had focused on lesser offenses like and obstruction, but the superseders emphasized premeditated intent to disrupt the constitutional process through armed opposition rather than mere presence at the protest. The U.S. Department of Justice described the plot as a deliberate effort to undermine the peaceful , though defense filings later contested the force element, arguing the group's actions aligned with Second Amendment-protected assembly and lacked evidence of imminent violence against federal authority.

Trial Outcomes and Convictions

The federal trials of members for their roles in the , 2021, U.S. Capitol breach resulted in multiple convictions on and related charges, marking the first such seditious conspiracy verdicts since 1995. Prosecutors presented evidence of pre-event planning, including encrypted communications and stockpiling of weapons and gear in a hotel, to argue a coordinated effort to oppose the certification of the electoral vote by force. In total, 29 Oath Keepers members and affiliates were charged in connection with the events, with convictions secured against at least 14 for felonies including obstruction of an official proceeding. The initial seditious conspiracy trial began on October 12, 2022, involving founder , , , Thomas Caldwell, and Kenneth Harrelson. After nearly three days of deliberation, the jury on November 29, 2022, convicted Rhodes and Meggs of —defined under 18 U.S.C. § 2384 as conspiring to overthrow or oppose U.S. government authority by force—along with obstruction of an official proceeding and other counts; all five defendants were found guilty of obstruction. Watkins, Caldwell, and Harrelson were acquitted of seditious conspiracy but convicted on lesser felony charges such as and unlawful possession of firearms on Capitol grounds. A second trial in January 2023 featured four defendants: Joseph Hackett, Roberto Minuta, David Moerschel, and Edward Vallejo. On January 23, 2023, the jury convicted all four of , as well as obstruction and other offenses, based on evidence of their participation in a "quick reaction force" team and communications plotting to halt the electoral certification. This brought the total jury convictions for among Oath Keepers to six. Subsequent proceedings included a March 2023 trial of four additional members—, , Brandon Pace, and William Isaacson—where the jury convicted them of obstruction of but acquitted on ; two were also convicted of lesser entry charges. Several other Oath Keepers, including some initially indicted on , entered guilty pleas to that charge or related felonies prior to or following these trials, contributing to a total of at least nine convictions by mid-2023. No Oath Keepers members were acquitted across all charges in these proceedings.

Defense Arguments and Evidence

The defense in the Oath Keepers' seditious conspiracy trials maintained that the group's actions on , 2021, were protective and reactive rather than part of a premeditated plot to forcibly oppose the presidential transition. Attorneys argued that no concrete agreement existed among defendants to use force against the government, emphasizing that conspiracies under 18 U.S.C. § 2384 require explicit, mutual plans rather than mere discussions or preparations. , the founder, testified on November 7, 2022, that he had no intention or plan for members to enter the U.S. Capitol, portraying the Oath Keepers' presence as a defensive response to anticipated violence from counter-protesters or left-wing groups, not an offensive to disrupt certification proceedings. Defense counsel challenged the prosecution's interpretation of communications, asserting that encrypted Signal group messages and Rhodes' post-event statements—such as references to potential "civil war" or stockpiling weapons—reflected contingency planning for broader unrest, not specific intent to target . In closing arguments on , , lawyers for and co-defendants like contended that the group operated under a "quick reaction force" protocol stationed in hotels, equipped with gear for but never deployed offensively, with no of direct coordination to breach barriers or assault . They highlighted that several defendants, including those who entered the Capitol, testified to acting spontaneously amid crowd chaos, without prior directives from leadership to obstruct the electoral count. Efforts to undermine prosecution evidence included claims of contextual misrepresentation, such as text messages allegedly taken out of sequence to imply coordination and surveillance videos with disputed timestamps suggesting post-hoc editing or selective framing. Rhodes' testimony invoked his interpretation of constitutional oaths and the Insurrection Act, arguing that preparations were lawful contingencies against perceived tyranny, not seditious aims, and that no defendant sought to "kidnap or assassinate" officials as prosecutors alleged. Partial evidentiary successes emerged, as juries acquitted three of five defendants in the first trial (including Thomas Caldwell, Jessica Watkins, and Bennie Parker) of seditious conspiracy on November 29, 2022, and Rhodes on conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, indicating gaps in proof of unified unlawful agreement. Defense teams stressed the absence of firearms or direct violence by Oath Keepers inside the Capitol, positioning the group as bystanders to unauthorized entries rather than architects of insurrection.

Sentencing, Appeals, and Pardons

, founder of the , received an 18-year prison sentence on May 23, 2023, following his conviction on and other charges related to efforts to oppose the 2020 election certification. Other leaders and members faced sentences ranging from 3 to 18 years, with examples including four participants in a "stack" formation who were sentenced in September 2023 to terms of 3 to 6 years for and related offenses. The U.S. Department of Justice appealed several Oath Keepers sentences in July 2023, contending that terms for and others, such as 12 years for co-defendant , were insufficient given the gravity of and the group's coordinated actions. filed his own appeal of the conviction and sentence in July 2023, arguing procedural and evidentiary errors, though the appeal process remained unresolved as of early 2025. On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump commuted Rhodes' 18-year sentence, resulting in his immediate release from federal prison after serving approximately 19 months. Trump simultaneously issued full pardons to over 1,500 January 6 defendants and commuted sentences for 14 others, explicitly including nine Oath Keepers members among those granted clemency. Following release, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta imposed restrictions on Rhodes and several other commuted Oath Keepers defendants on January 24, 2025, barring them from entering Washington, D.C., or the U.S. Capitol without prior court approval as a condition of supervised release.

Post-January 6 Developments

Organizational Challenges and Rebranding

Following the arrests of key leaders, including founder Stewart Rhodes on January 13, 2022, the Oath Keepers experienced a leadership vacuum that exacerbated existing structural weaknesses in its decentralized model. Rhodes's subsequent conviction for seditious conspiracy on November 29, 2022, and 18-year prison sentence on May 25, 2023, further crippled national coordination, as interim figures like Roberto Minuta and Kelly Meggs faced similar charges and incarceration. The organization's loose chapter-based framework, reliant on volunteer affiliates, struggled to maintain cohesion without centralized direction, leading to widespread disaffiliation. Membership plummeted amid heightened legal risks and public scrutiny, with former participants citing fears of prosecution and dissatisfaction over unreturned dues as factors in their exit. A September 2022 data leak exposed a database of approximately 38,000 individuals who had at some point paid for membership, though active numbers were likely far lower post-, 2021, following a pre-event spike driven by election-related recruitment. Financial strains compounded issues, including member complaints about misused funds—such as Rhodes's expenditure of $22,500 on weapons purchases in the lead-up to and an additional $17,000 shortly after—and platform from services like , X (formerly Twitter), Amazon, and . The group's website went offline in 2022 and has not returned, signaling operational cessation. By early 2023, the Oath Keepers had effectively disbanded national activities, with experts noting fragmentation into local entities rather than sustained revival. Efforts at emerged sporadically at the local level, as chapters sought to distance themselves from the national fallout. In , a former Oath Keepers affiliate reorganized as the Yavapai County Preparedness Team, emphasizing community training over overt activities. Similarly, the chapter disaffiliated entirely, while other splinter groups adopted neutral names focused on or veterans' support to evade stigma. In 2023, a separate entity named Oath Keepers USA launched under Bobby Kinch, a former board member, promoting tactical training but demonstrating minimal public activity or growth by 2025. Analysts observed that while core ideology persisted in dispersed networks, the Oath Keepers brand's association with convictions deterred wholesale reconstitution, prompting absorption into broader ecosystems rather than direct .

Ongoing Activities and Membership Shifts

Following the legal fallout from the January 6, 2021, Capitol events, including the 2022 convictions of founder and several associates, the Oath Keepers experienced marked fragmentation, with membership lists from a 2021 data leak indicating prior rosters of over 35,000 individuals but subsequent reports showing widespread attrition. Many members distanced themselves amid public scrutiny and federal investigations, contributing to a reported decline in active participation; for instance, local chapters in states like explicitly disbanded in early 2021, citing the national group's Capitol involvement as untenable. Structural shifts included rebranding efforts by surviving chapters, some operating as "independent" Oath Keepers units or merging into other networks to evade association with the convicted leadership, while the national website, briefly offline in January 2021, persisted intermittently before ceasing operations entirely by early 2023. In , "Bobby" Kinch positioned himself as the group's national director amid ' incarceration, coordinating limited internal activities revealed through undercover infiltration, though these efforts appeared decentralized and lacked the pre-2021 scale of organized training or deployments. Post-2023 sentencings, which included 18 years for Rhodes, ongoing activities dwindled to sporadic local engagements and online coordination, with remnants focusing on recruitment via social media rather than high-profile operations; a 2024 analysis noted over 100 Facebook groups linking Oath Keepers affiliates to broader militia discussions, but without evidence of unified national actions. Following Rhodes' release in January 2025 via presidential pardon, he resumed public advocacy, including speeches at events like a September 2025 church appearance in Elgin, Illinois, and Capitol visits to meet Republican lawmakers, potentially signaling attempts to revive influence, though no verified large-scale mobilizations have occurred. Membership trends reflect a shift toward looser affiliations, with some former members integrating into groups like the , as evidenced by pre-2025 coordination patterns that persisted in fragmented forms; however, federal monitoring and internal distrust, including moles exposing leadership claims, have constrained regrowth. The organization's future remains uncertain, with state-level remnants like Utah's chapter facing dissolution pressures despite ' freedom.

Influence on Broader Militia Networks

The exerted influence on broader militia networks through shared anti-government ideologies centered on constitutional oaths and resistance to federal overreach, attracting current and former military and law enforcement personnel who overlapped with groups like the . Founded in 2009 by in collaboration with Three Percenter co-founder Mike Vanderboegh, the organization held its inaugural joint rally with that group on at Lexington Green, fostering early tactical and rhetorical alignment within the patriot militia ecosystem. This ideological synergy extended to joint mobilizations, such as armed security operations in Chattanooga in 2015 alongside , and participation in the 2014 , where provided on-the-ground support to militants confronting federal agents. Operational coordination amplified this influence, as evidenced by collaborative events like the 2016 , occupation—where acted as a buffer force—and "Operation Sabot," a 2016 initiative to monitor polling stations for alleged voter fraud with allied patriot groups. members frequently held dual affiliations, such as with the Ohio State Regular Militia, and provided security at rallies for entities like and , including anti-Sharia marches and the 2017 Battle for Berkeley, thereby disseminating tactical formations and quasi-law-enforcement protocols. These interactions influenced emerging movements, with the faction adopting ' narratives of civil unrest response and business protection during 2020 protests. Post-January 6, 2021, convictions—including charges against and associates—disrupted ' structure but did not sever ties to wider networks, as member crossover persisted with groups like American Patriots Three Percent (AP3), involving joint reconnaissance and training efforts. Undercover operations revealed ongoing surges, with rebuilding chapters and integrating affiliates across states, while broader militias maintained low-profile activities focused on and decentralized operations to evade scrutiny. The legal fallout served as a deterrent to overt coordination but reinforced ideological resilience, with patriot networks adapting through and shared grievances rather than dissolution.

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  110. https://www.dailyherald.com/20250924/nation-and-world-politics/oath-keepers-founder-jan-6-planner-speaks-at-elgin-church-after-3-other-venues-cancel-amid-outcry/
  111. https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5101576-oath-keepers-stewart-rhodes-capitol/
  112. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/new-evidence-reveals-coordination-oath-keepers-three-percenters-jan-6-rcna30355
  113. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/23/oath-keepers-utah
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