Corrupt DC Judge Mehta Lectures Oath Keeper Founder Stewart Rhodes Then Sentences Him to 18 Years in Prison for January 6

 

Oath Keepers founder Elmer Stewart Rhodes was issued an 18-year prison sentence by US District Judge Amit Mehta on Thursday morning.

Judge Mehta Rhodes warned Rhodes is a terrorist as he issued “terror enhancement” penalties to lengthen the seditious conspiracy sentence and should serve nearly two decades in prison to assure the “hierarchal leader”  does not conspire another terror attack like he did on January 6.

Conspiring the protest that escalated into a riot is “the most severe crime an American” can commit, trouncing the criminality of murder, Mehta argued.

“Seditious conspiracy sentences in other cases. As you have pointed out some involved the actual targeting and killing of Americans,” the judge admonished. “Mr. Rhodes, you were convicted of seditious conspiracy. You are a lawyer, you understand what that means. For those who are not, it’s true neither Rhodes nor a conspirator used weapons against a police officer that day.

“Seditious conspiracy is among the most serious crimes an  American can commit, offenses against the people of the country. It’s not confirmed to one day, actions of one day. It’s a series of acts in which you and others committed to use force including potentially with weapons against the government of the United States as it transitioned from one president to another.”

Judge Mehta conceded that characterizations of the Oath Keepers as a white supremacist organization are bogus, but warned Rhodes led a group of vigilantes who took it upon themselves to orchestrate a ploy to uphold the Constitution by force.

“Let me be clear, we don’t paint with a broad brush. Shame on you if you do — just because you support the former president doesn’t mean you are a white supremacist. You voted for the other guy. But what we cannot have, absolutely cannot have, is a group of citizens who because they didn’t like the outcome of an election or because they didn’t think the law was carried out the way they think it should be, were prepared to take up arms to foment a revolution. That’s what you did. Those are your words, not mine,” he said. “You’re not a political prisoner. You are here because 12 jurors in DC who acquitted you of multiple counts found you guilty of sedition — a jury of your peers, make no mistake.”

Footage from J6 shows police using deadly force against unarmed protesters. Snipers shot rubber bullets and sting balls from an incline on the Capitol Steps and threw flash grenades at the moderately calm crowd of protesters after they knocked over a back rack security barrier approaching the Capitol building.

Mehta heralded the cops on duty for laying “their bodies on the line.”

“There are two enduring impacts of January 6,” he said. “Now we all hold our breaths every time an election approaches. The enduring legacy is what we saw yesterday: Herorism, of police officers and people working on Capitol Hill that day to protect this democracy as we know it. They laid their bodies on the line,” he said. “You talk about keeping oaths? Nobody is more emblematic than those police officers, Mr. Rhodes. Their heroism, stamina, courage — but for their acts, J6 couldn’t have been far blacker a day than one, already one of the blackest of this country.”

Government prosecutor, AUSA Rakoczy  AKOCZY urged the judge to incarcerate Rhodes for 25 years for “radicalizing” ordinary Americans to carry out acts of terror:

J6 is neither the first nor last time he will seek to organize political violence. He’s been calling for violent [resistance] to the government for well over a decade. He continues to advocate for political violence from jail. Just four days ago, he addressed by phone a “freedom corner rally.” He warned those in attendance that: “They’re going to keep coming after those on the political right. It’s a terror campaign against political opposition. It’s not going to stop until it’s stopped. We’re going to have to stop it. It’s going to take regime change.”

Most of us want to believe January 6 was an outlier. Not defendant Rhodes. The court should and must impose sentences of 25 years.

The court has found [what he did] is terrorism, conduct that threatened and continues to threaten the rule of law in the United States. One of the great tragedies was to see ordinary Americans turn into criminals on January 6. Rhodes along with eight codefendants played a leadership role.

He inspired more than 30 Americans to travel across the country to oppose by force election results from becoming final. Hundreds of people followed the Oath Keepers website where he placed an open letter essentially calling for revolution against the United States. I’d like to focus on these attempts to radicalize his co-conspirators. He doggedly drilled the lie of election fraud and the false need to act like the Founding Fathers and save the Constitution and country. Witness after witness told us they were lost in 2020, former or aspiring military members.

Rhodes maintained during sentencing that he is a “political prisoner” persecuted for thought crimes:

I’ll start by saying I’m a political prisoner, like President Trump and my only crime is opposing those who are destroying our country… using protected speech because of systemic violence of the left to shut down speech of Trump supporters. It started at the Trump inauguration. We started protecting vulnerable Trump supporters from attacks by Antifa — none of them was ever prosecuted to my mind — obviously, seditious conspiracy, trying to stop the transfer of power To Trump. We’ve protected people outside Trump rallies from Antifa.

Antifa like to have unarmed victims…We stepped across the country to protect unarmed or elderly back to their vehicles. We shouldn’t have to do that in this country. There are repeated systemic examples. One, in Berkeley, a transgender Trump supporter attacked. We stepped in. We did so peacefully. We deterred Antifa. That’s been our focal point. Unlike the characterization of the Southern Poverty Law Center, our people are nonviolent with zero records of actual use of force. We deter like other groups — unlike Proud Boys, who seek out street violence.

In DC, we did many security operations without incidents, without a hitch. We give our people the option to wear helmets and body armor because Antifa stabs people, throws bottles, [other things]. On January 6, I did not go inside, nor did I epect anyone else to. I had just spoken at the Latinos for Trump rally about a block north. When I was standing at the northeast corner of the Capitol, that’s where the next event was going to be for Ali Alexander. Kelly Meggs’ team was escorting people from the ellipse to Ali Alexander’s event.

My concern was they would get caught up in turmoil outside the Capitol. I wanted to make sure they didn’t get caught up. That’s why I said, “If anyone is not still on duty come to us.” When they did come to me, they said they had gone inside and I said that was stupid. Mr. Green was actually in charge of assigning the teams that day. I never take personal leadership unless I have no choice. Green is a retired police officer. I put good men in charge, trust them to do the right thing. On January 6, I saw a problem — saw a riot happening. I didn’t want our guys to be a part of it, so, I said, “Come to me.” I wanted them to be with Mr. Green and me to keep our guys from being caught up with that.

Josh James was with the team protecting Roger Stone. I didn’t want them caught up with this. No Oath Keeper took part in any of the fighting. No Oath Keeper punched anyone, kicked anyone, pepper sprayed them, struck them with a stun gun. The worst thing an Oath Keeper did that day: Jessica Watkins pushed in a Senate hallway. She was leader her own little militia. The other one was Josh James, he lost his military bearing.

[I feel for the police who testified yesterday]. None of us caused that. It was bizarre to hear all that. I find it offense, frankly. This has been a surreal experience. I feel I’m the lead character in ” Kafka’s The Trial.”

…

I find it very offensive, all meant to smear the Trump supporters and link them to the Ku Klu Klan, which was a Democrat organization. The Oath Keepers — the New York Times blames the Oather Keepers and the Proud Bous. They hate us because we stopped the violence in the streets and they don’t like that.

The government sought “terror enhancements” for all 9 of the first Oath Keepers being sentenced and in four other J6 cases. With the exception of Rhodes, judges have rebuffed each time.

The witnesses omitted details about the lethal force cops used against protesters as they testified about how they are still haunted by the Capitol riot.

Metha held a sentencing-related hearing on Wednesday, Judge in which five witnesses, government workers and law enforcement officials, provided testimony about how they are traumatized by the “mob of insurrectionists storming the Capitol.”

Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn claimed he is, “Still dealing with threats against my life and the lives of my loved ones for simply doing my job on January 6.”

“Why am I and my fellow officers still called liars and traitors?” Dunn told the judge. “Why must I suffer two and a half years later? While I will always live with the mental scars of January 6, I find a measure of relief in the jury’s guilty verdict: relief that my fellow officers and I did not suffer in vain; relief that what I was protecting on January 6 was worth defending; and relief that, in the end, our American system of justice prevailed and thus Court will administer accountability.”

At 1:30 pm, Judge Mehta will begin sentencing for Florida Oath Keeper Kelly Meggs.

J6 defendants detained in the DC jail, where Rhodes has been transferred during the sentencing hearing, warned Rhodes has run out of funds for commissary.

He has managed to raise money for his attorney fees, he has not received donations to his GiveSendGo account for over a year and no longer has funds for commissary to use the phone or buy food, they told TGP on a call Thursday.

Food served in the jail is inedible, typically moldy and rotten. Inmates rely on Ramen, bags of chips, and a package of refried beans for nourishment, which Rhodes can no longer afford.

“It cost money to use the phone it cost money to feed ourselves the commissary — I can only imagine what kind of bills he has in his own life that he still has to keep up. These lawyers accept the donations but the J6er is left out to dry, in Rhodes’ case specifically,” an inmate said.

Support Steward Rhodes here.

READ THE PARTIAL TRANSCRIPT OF STEWART RHODES SENTENCING HEARING:

JUDGE MEHTA: Two important issues. 1. Mr. Rhodes stands convicted of seditious conspiracy. 2. The facts I recited yesterday — not going to recite again today — al those facts and inferences I drew yesterday (with one exception) I’m incorporating into the record. Some broad strokes of my findings to a preponderance of the evidence. Mr. Rhodes was convicted of leading a conspiracy to oppose by force lawful transfer of power after the 2020 election. Because of Mr. Rhodes’ position at the top of the hierarchy of the Oath Keepers and conduct and actions and words, I ascribe actions, of all his co-conspirators to him as well … in furtherance of the conspiracy and reasonably foreseeable. He used violent imagery and language, drew comparisons to the American Revolution and Civil War to inspire the use of force, signal messages and actions of co-conspirators, and showed mutual understanding that force might be required.

Understanding that force might be required, understanding that force might be used to oppose the transfer of power including on J6 itself. He and the co-conspirators brought weapons to an area. The fact that they never brought weapons into the city does not defeat the reason he brought them. There is ample evidence of consciousness of guilt. He sought to cover his own actions and those of coconspirators. Within 48 hours he told everyone on the Leadership Chat to delete signal chats and “shut the fuck up.” Why else?

…

With respect to the question of whether Rhodes gave an order: I suspect the jury did not find you guilty of conspiracy to obstruct because of some confusion about what was said in that phone call. That’s not where we are, not making findings beyond a reasonable doubt.

It was reasonably foreseeable to Rhodes that people were going in. He would’ve known the objective that day was to resist the transfer of power. When things went to hell at the Capitol he didn’t tell people to stay at bay. He told them to come in, ‘I’m on the south side of the Capitol.’ Why do that if he didn’t know they’d join the melee? It defies explanation. Why would he order and bring another 30 people to the Capitol if he didn’t want them to go in? Just not plausible. It was reasonably foreseeable to him that people would have entered the building and use force once in the building. Clearly foreseeable. No doubt in my mind. Closer question: Whether I can conclude by preponderance of evidence that he in fact approved their entry into the Capitol. Mr. Bright, you’re right, there’s evidence that could cause a reasonable jury to question that. But here’s what other evidence showed: This was an extremely hierarchical organization. Rhodes was the one giving orders. He was the reason they were in Washington DC on January 6. Given that, I find it hard to believe Meggs would’ve led those people in there without a green light from Rhodes. Why? 1. Hierarchical relationship. 2. Testimony at trial: Meggs was trying to get ahold of somebody and thought it was Rhodes. A second witness said Meggs was contemplating whether to go in. Then Caleb Berry said Meggs said: ‘We’re going in to stop the vote’ I don’t ascribe Meggs’ ability to do that without clearing it with Rhodes.

Rhodes not only knew but in some sense authorized it after. After January 6, through testimony from Dolan — hear heard Rhodes say, “That was pretty stupid.” The exact testimony was a little equivocal. Dolan: “I believe he was talking to Kelly at the time but I’m not 100 percent sure.” Greene’s testimony: “Somebody mentioned somebody by name and said they went in and Steward said that was fucking stupid. So some evidence, but compare that to what he said afterward.”

Not once did Rhodes say on signal chats that he regretted people going in. Not once. Then there’s the consciousness of guilt. Not just protecting others; protecting self. He’s a Yale law grad — pretty smart guy. I find he knew and approved entry into the Capitol. As to “due administration of justice”… the essence of seditious agreement represented threat to threat to others and members of Congress. Arsenal on the other side of the Potomac… conspiracy contemplated the use of force… threatened physical harm to a staff member of Speaker.

Rhodes is responsible for actual injuries to certain officers and threatened injuries; to officers Salke and Carrion near the east rotunda door. Officer Christopher Owens and others in the Senate hallway faced Watkins. Officers Jackson and Martha Lazzo who were the object of Joshua James’ assault; threats to Pelosi staffers cowering in fear in the conference room where Meggs and others were outside. Proceedings were adjourned for some period of time. That’s substantial interference with administrative justice. It was obstructed.

Additional costs in terms of clean up and additional Secret Service personnel that had to come to the Capitol; substantial planning for events of January 6, even if just taking time from December 19 [Stop the steal rally] forward — hotels, bringing weapons, creating groups. The way people entered in a line. Whether you call it stack or not, that shows organization and planning. Rhodes was top of the chain, not just founder and leader. Oath Keepers don’t come to DC on January 6 but for Mr. Rhodes. He directed co-conspirators to the Capitol and they abided.

He told them to come to the Capitol. There was testimony that he would have been the one to say whether to bring the arms in [to DC]. He referred to Minuta as “one of my most trusted men,” suggesting control. He designated Siekerman and Green and Meggs as operational leaders. So, level 4 enhancement for leadership applies. Not a close call.

The 6-level enhancement for terrorism — definition of seditious conspiracy meets that. Their objective was to affect the conduct of the government through intimidation and coercion by means of force. In terms of levels, I disagree that it’s an all-or-nothing proposition. [i.e., 12 levels or nothing]. It only establishes a cap, not a floor. I think the 6 level is appropriate. How do I get there? There is separate and more serious conduct than what’s captured by guidelines. This is an additional level of planning and targeting of the institution of American democracy at its most important point — its transfer of power. That’s what the jury found and I agree with them. A 6-level enhancement is appropriate — what all of that means.

Three other things: the defense has requested 2 level reduction for acceptance or responsibility. I [reject] that. Mr. Rhodes’ comments since January 6 clearly demonstrate no acceptance of responsibility. The defense has requested downward departure for military service — doesn’t apply here. Rhodes served the country but not to an unusual degree. I’m not going to say there weren’t charitable purposes that the Oath Keepers [sometimes] undertook, but not extraordinary and doesn’t eclipse what happened on January 6.

Guidelines calculations are for seditious conspiracy: treason is analog but conduct not “tantamount to waging war” so all are in agreement that guideline [begins with obstruction of justice] base offense is 14.

8-Level enhancement for causing or threatening injury. 3-levels for interference,… total offense of 39 guideline range: 262 to 327 months.

AUSA RAKOCZY: The government is asking for 25 years of incarceration, in the middle of applicable guidelines the court just found. The court has found [what he did] is terrorism, conduct that threatened and continues to threaten the rule of law in the United States. One of the great tragedies was to see ordinary Americans turn into criminals on January 6. Rhodes along with eight codefendants played a leadership role.

He inspired more than 30 Americans to travel across the country to oppose by forcing election results from becoming final. Hundreds of people followed the Oath Keepers website where he placed an open letter essentially calling for revolution against the United States. I’d like to focus on these attempts to radicalize his co-conspirators. He doggedly drilled the lie of election fraud and the false need to act like the Founding Fathers and save the Constitution and country. Witness after witness told us they were lost in 2020, former or aspiring military members.

You heard how Rhodes capitalized on their [weaknesses]. He gave their anger a direction and plotted to exploit them.. seeking to radicalize and lead others in a seditious conspiracy needed for general deterrence and criticality to ensure respect for the rule of law. The theme running through this case is Rhode’s view. That his view of the law is supreme. That vigilantism, which is fatal to our system of government. A long sentence is also demanded by goal of specific deterrence.

J6 is neither the first nor last time he will seek to organize political violence. He’s been calling for violent [resistance] to the government for well over a decade. He continues to advocate for political violence from jail. Just four days ago, he addressed by phone a “freedom corner rally.” He warned those in attendance that: “They’re going to keep coming after those on the political right.” It’s a terror campaign against political opposition. It’s not going to stop until it’s stopped. We’re going to have to stop it. It’s going to take regime change.”

Most of us want to believe January 6 was an outlier. Not defendant Rhodes. The court should and must impose sentences of 25 years.

DEFENSE ATTORNEY PHIL LINDER, REPRESENTING RHODES: This court has sat through three jury trials. You’ve read all the presentence reports. You have a good grasp of evidence as you see it. No magic witness I can bring to change your mind. However, the government wants you to sentence Rhodes out of fear. Fear he’ll do it again. They want to make Rhodes the face of J6; want a 25-year sentence. Nothing has come close to that. Go back to the election in November. Rhodes is upset as are millions of Americans.

Rhodes didn’t plan an event in November, December, or January. He’s a participant. They want to say Rhodes caused this. Rhodes did not cause this. The court and the public need to look at who caused this. It wasn’t Rhodes. He was a participant. He didn’t create all that. He didn’t start the million MAGA march on November 14 or January 6. If he’d been hauled away, J6 would have still happened. Want to put a face on J6, put it on Trump, right-wing media, politicians — Rhodes was just a participant. He didn’t create it.

Of 450-some-odd people sentenced, 17 people have gotten 60 months or more. Peter Schwartz got 170 months. He has 38 priors and assaulted police officers. Tom Webster, 120 months, assaulted police. Guy Reffitt, 87 months. The assaultive person is the dangerous person, not the person who runs at the mouth and riles people up. If you give Rhodes 25 years, does it box the court into giving the cooperators 15 years?

AUSA NESTLER: [references Patrick McCaughey, Webser and Albuquerque Head convicted of violent assaults, says none of them were plotting a conspiracy.]

LINDER: All the previous seditious conspiracy cases involved people plotting to kill Americans. Khan, Al-Timimi, Battle, Ford, Batsie. Rhodes didn’t plot to kill Americans. He has no criminal history. I’d ask for sentences of less than 60 months, sentences of more than 60 have been reserved for those who engaged in assaults. I’d ask that people not sentence Rhodes out of fear but for how his actions fit into everything that happened that day.

RHODES: I’ll start by saying I’m a political prisoner, like President Trump and my only crime is opposing those who are destroying our country… using protected speech because of systemic violence of the left to shut down speech of Trump supporters. It started at the Trump inauguration. We started protecting vulnerable Trump supporters from attacks by Antifa — none of them was ever prosecuted to my mind — Obviously, seditious conspiracy, trying to stop the transfer of power To Trump. We’ve protected people outside Trump rallies from Antifa.

Antifa like to have unarmed victims. [Provides alleged examples.] We stepped across the country to protect unarmed or elderly back to their vehicles. We shouldn’t have to do that in this country. There are repeated systemic examples. One, in Berkeley, a transgender Trump supporter attacked. We stepped in. We did so peacefully. We deterred Antifa. That’s been our focal point. Unlike the characterization of the Southern Poverty Law Center, our people are nonviolent with zero record of actual use of force. We deter like other groups — unlike Proud Boys, who seek out street violence.

In DC, we did many security operations without incidents, without a hitch. We give our people the option to wear helmets and body armor because Antifa stabs people, throw bottles, [other things]. On January 6, I did not go inside, nor did I expect anyone else to. I had just spoken at the Latinos for Trump rally about a block north. When I was standing at the northeast corner of the Capitol, that’s where the next event was going to be for Ali Alexander. Kelly Meggs’ team was escorting people from the ellipse to Ali Alexander’s event.

My concern was they would get caught up in turmoil outside the Capitol. I wanted to make sure they didn’t get caught up. That’s why I said, “If anyone is not still on duty come to us.” When they did come to me, they said they had gone inside and I said that was stupid. Mr. Green was actually in charge of assigning the teams that day. I never take personal leadership unless I have no choice. Green is a retired police officer. I put good men in charge, trust them to do the right thing. On January 6, I saw a problem — saw a riot happening. I didn’t want our guys to be a part of it, so, I said, “Come to me.” I wanted them to be with Mr. Green and me to keep our guys from being caught up with that.

Josh James was with the team protecting Roger Stone. I didn’t want them caught up with this. No Oath Keeper took part in any of the fighting. No Oath Keeper punched anyone, kicked anyone, pepper-sprayed them, struck them with a stun gun. The worst thing an Oath Keeper did that day: Jessica Watkins pushed in a Senate hallway. She was the leader of her own little militia. The other one was Josh James, he lost his military bearing.

[I feel for the police who testified yesterday]. None of us caused that. It was bizarre to hear all that. I find it offensive, frankly. This has been a surreal experience. I feel I’m the lead character in ” Kafka’s The Trial.”

[Rhodes objects to characterizations of the Oath Keepers as “white supremacists”]

I find it very offensive, all meant to smear the Trump supporters and link them to the Ku Klu Klan, which was a Democrat organization. The Oath Keepers — the New York Times blames the Oather Keepers and the Proud Bous. They hate us because we stopped the violence in the streets and they don’t like that.

JUDGE: I’m going to ask you to wrap up.

RHODES: After I saw we need “regime change” [in an interview four days ago] I said I hoped Trump won in 2024. Rakoczy took that out of context. Every J6er is a political prisoner, all being grossly overcharged. It’s not going to deter people. It’s going to make people even more [angry with the government.]

[Rhodes references TX v. PA original suit in Supreme Court claiming constitutional violations.]

I cannot ignore the text of the Constitution under my oath. Characterizing Trump supporters as racists or fools is not going to help. I am the American Solzhenitsyn to expose the criminality of this administration.

[Rhodes concludes the statement.]

JUDGE: [Short Break]

[The guidelines that Judge Mehta has found to apply to Rhodes, 262 to 327 months, comes to 21 years 10 months to 27 years 3 months. Those were the guidelines the government sought. Thus, it’s recommended sentence. The maximum for seditious conspiracy is 20 years, to achieve 25 he would have to impose some consecutive sentences.]

[Judge Mehta returns to bench]

JUDGE MEHTA: Guidelines: 262 to 327 months, beginning with disparities: The defense has rightly brought forward a compilation of other sentences in J6 cases. The most serious was 14-plus years. Next most serious 10 years. Both involved serious assaultive conduct. I don’t find those cases to be useful comparators. None convicted of conspiracy let alone seditious conspiracy. I have considered two things though. Seditious conspiracy sentences in other cases. As you have pointed out some involved the actual targeting and killing of Americans. I am also considering the need for proportionality with other members of this conspiracy. Mr. Rhodes, you were convicted of seditious conspiracy. You are a lawyer, you understand what that means. For those who are not, it’s true neither Rhodes nor a conspirator used weapons against a police officer that day. Here’s what the Supreme Court has said: Collective agreement presents a greater danger to the public than individual criminal conduct, [cites Callanan v. US 364 US 587].

The danger a conspiracy creates is not confined to [facts that occur] seditious conspiracy. At the start of the Civil War, treason was a primary tool available but the Constitution defined that narrowly. Congress enacted statutes, seditious conspiracy is among the most serious crimes an American can commit, offenses against the people of the country. It’s not confirmed to one day, actions of one day. It’s a series of acts in which you and others committed to use force including potentially with weapons against the government of the United States as it transitioned from one president to another. What was the motive? You didn’t like the new guy. I get it. Let me be clear, we don’t paint with a broad brush. Shame on you if you do. Just because you support the former president doesn’t mean you are a white supremacist. You voted for the other guy. But what we cannot have, absolutely cannot have, is a group of citizens who because they didn’t like the outcome of an election or because they didn’t think the law was carried out the way they think it should be, were prepared to take up arms to foment a revolution. That’s what you did. Those are your words, not mine. You’re not a political prisoner. You are here because 12 jurors in DC who acquitted you of multiple counts found you guilty of sedition — a Jury of your peers, make no mistake.

Two enduring impacts of January 6: Now we all hold our breaths every time an election approaches. The enduring legacy is what we saw yesterday: Herorism, of police officers and people working on Capitol Hill that day to protect this democracy as we know it. They laid their bodies on the line. You talk about keeping oaths? Nobody is more emblematic than those police officers, Mr. Rhodes. Their heroism, stamina, courage — but for their acts, J6 couldn’t have been far blacker a day than one, already one of the blackest of this country.

[Mehta discusses history and characteristics of the Rhodes]

Rhodes is now 58. Has a wife, 6 kids. He is an educated, accomplished man. He served the country. Graduated from UNLV summa cum laude, Yale Law School, clerked for the Arizona Supreme Court, and founded the Oath Keepers? I don’t consider it white supremacist or racist. They have been civic-minded in some instances. They have helped after hurricanes. None of that is in dispute. None to be questioned. It is not my job to pass judgment on the Oath Keepers organization but to pass judgment on Rhodes, the founder of that organization. Regrettably, many of these positive attributes Have been turned against the US government. There’s been a history of this. The Oath Keepers have been involved in standoffs with the government… the Bundy ranch. I was chilled by your remarks at that time: “It was going to be sheepdog versus sheepdog that day, bloodbath that day.”

I reflected in your personal life. It’s a pattern, I daresay … [said something about life sentence?] … you sir represent an ongoing threat to this country and a compelling figure. that’s what makes you dangerous. … anyone think Joe Hackett would come to DC without you? no. only because of you … everyone you conspired with, called to DC, they too are victims. victims of lies, propaganda, rhetoric, and intention that you conveyed and they agreed to and shared. it was one thing if after J6 you’d looked at what happened and said that was not a good day for our democracy. but you celebrated it. you told Alpers you’re only regret was you should have brought the weapons. could’ve hanged nancy pelosi from a lamppost. didn’t sound like you were just there for a security detail.

You recently said in an interview that the 2020 election was not only stolen but taken by unconstitutional means. You said you had to find a way to fix that. Nothing has changed. The moment you are released you’ll be prepared to take up arms against your government because you think that’s the appropriate way to find redress. I’m not making this up. You said under oath,” You and the Oath Keepers were prepared to take steps to alter or abolish this government”. You were prepared to take steps and walk the Founders’ path, yes. I hope that conflict can be avoided. i really do.

But when the government steps outside the constitution, it puts you in a bad place. When you find yourself in a bad place, the rest of us are too. We’re all objects of your willingness to engage in violence. We just cannot have that in this country.

You are committed to the custody of [Bureau of Prisons] for *216 months — 18 years* … on counts 1, 3, and 7.

…

Mr. Rhodes, good luck to you. Adjourned.

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