Prosecutors use Oath Keepers leader’s own words against him in heated cross-examination

In a tense, head-to-head exchange with Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes, district attorneys utilized Rhodes’ own words from texts, speeches and interviews to recommend to the jury that the militia leader deceived them when he affirmed he was uninformed of other members’ activities on January 6, 2021, and was horrified by the violence that day.

Rhodes is the very first of the 5 offenders charged with seditious conspiracy in federal court in Washington, DC, to affirm.

In his two-day statement, Rhodes informed the jury that he wasn’t associated with the specifics of preparing for January 6, which he had no understanding of prepare for the so-called fast response force that the group established in Virginia to rapidly move weapons into Washington, as district attorneys have actually declared.

District Attorney Kathryn Rakoczy, nevertheless, revealed the jury Signal messages in which Rhodes informed other members that “We WILL have a QRF” on January 6 due to the fact that “this scenario requires it” and became part of group messages where members shared photos of paths the QRF might utilize to get in the city.

” The dollar stopped with you in this operation,” Rakoczy stated to Rhodes, checking out the leader’s messages aloud.

” I are accountable for whatever everybody else did?” Rhodes reacted.

” You supervise, right?” Rakoczy stated.

” Not if they do something off objective,” he shot back.

” That’s hassle-free,” Rakoczy stated, smiling.

The militia leader likewise informed district attorneys that he “intended to prevent” dispute and was just worried about a civil war breaking out after Joe Biden ended up being president– causing a scolding concern from Rakoczy about how “the civil war will be on [January] 21st and not on the 6th?”.

” I do not excuse the violence that took place” on January 6, Rhodes affirmed. “Anybody who did attack a policeman that day ought to be prosecuted for it.”.

Rakoczy indicated declarations Rhodes made in a covertly tape-recorded discussion in the days after January 6 where he stated he wanted the Oath Keepers had actually brought rifles to the Capitol that day.

” If he’s not going to do the best thing, and he’s simply going to let himself be eliminated unlawfully, then we ought to have brought rifles,” Rhodes stated in the recording district attorneys once again bet the jury.

” We might have repaired it best then and there,” Rhodes stated of the Capitol attack, according to the recording. “I ‘d hang f ** king Pelosi from the lamppost.”.

After playing the recording, Rakoczy asked Rhodes, “That’s what you stated 4 days after the attack at the Capitol, right?”.

” Yeah, after a couple beverages and I was pissed off,” Rhodes affirmed.

Rhodes and the other 4 offenders have actually pleaded innocent to the seditious conspiracy charges.