Jump to content

Oath Keepers

Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Promise Keepers.
For the Game of Thrones episode, see Oathkeeper.
"Oathkeepers" redirects here. For the political party in Serbia, see Serbian Party Oathkeepers.

Oath Keepers
FounderStewart Rhodes
LeaderKellye SoRelle (Acting President)
FoundationMarch 2009; 15 years ago (2009-03)
Dates of operation2009–present
Active regionsUnited States[1]
IdeologyAmerican nationalism
Conservatism
Right-libertarianism
Trumpism
Political positionFar-right
Slogan"Not on our watch!"
Major actionsOccupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge,
2021 United States Capitol attack,
political violence, harassment, riots, occupations and armed attacks
StatusActive
Size5,000–38,000[2]
AlliesThree Percenters
Patriot Prayer
Proud Boys
OpponentsDemocratic Party
Black Lives Matter
Left-wing and progressive organizations
This article is part of a series on
Conservatism
in the United States
Schools
Principles
History
Intellectuals
Politicians
Jurists
Commentators
Activists
Literature
Concerns
Parties
Active

Defunct

Think tanks
Media

Newspapers

Journals

TV channels

Websites

Other

Other organizations

Economics

Gun rights

Identity politics

Nativist

Religion

Watchdog groups

Youth/student groups

Miscellaneous

Other

Movements
Related

Oath Keepers is an American far-right[1] anti-government militia[1][3] 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.[4] Three other members have pleaded guilty to this crime, and four other members have been convicted of it.[5][6]

The group encourages its members to disobey orders which they believe would violate the U.S. Constitution. 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. 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.[7][8][9][10]

Several organizations that monitor U.S. domestic terrorism and hate groups describe the Oath Keepers as a far-right extremist or radical group.[1][11] 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".[12][13] According to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), the group is anti-government and extremist.[14][15][16][17] Former SPLC senior fellow Mark Potok describes the group as "an anti-government group who believe in a wild set of conspiracy theories".[18] 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."[19] 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.[20]

Oath Keepers were present wearing military fatigues during the 2014 and 2015 unrest in Ferguson, Missouri,[21][22][23] when members armed with semi-automatic rifles roamed streets and rooftops.[24][25]

By September 2021, twenty members had been indicted for federal crimes related to the January 2021 Capitol attack, with four pleading guilty.[26][27]

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.[28] By late April 2022, two of those 11 indicted Oath Keepers pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy,[29] and another member who had not been named in the initial indictment pleaded guilty to the same charges on May 4, 2022.[30] A jury found Rhodes and one co-defendant guilty of seditious conspiracy on November 29, 2022.[31] Four more Oath Keepers were convicted of seditious conspiracy by a separate jury two months later, bringing the total convicted of this rare charge to nine.[32]

Organizational history

Founder Stewart Rhodes

The Oath Keepers has been identified as one of the "largest and most prominent organizations of the militia/patriot movement."[33][34] Oath Keepers was founded in March 2009 by Elmer Stewart Rhodes,[35][36][37] a Yale Law School graduate, former U.S. Army paratrooper, and former staffer for Republican Congressman Ron Paul.[38] The SPLC lists Rhodes as a known extremist.[18] 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."[39][40][41]

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.[42]

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.[43] 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'."[44]

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.[20] Former spokesperson for the Oath Keepers, Jason Van Tatenhove, has said of Stewart Rhodes and the Oath Keepers organization:[20][45]

[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".[46][47]

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.[48] 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.[48]

Nonprofit tax status

Billboard in Pine River, Minnesota in July 2015

In 2009, Oath Keepers was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in Nevada,[49] but there is no record of it receiving tax-exempt status from the IRS, making any donations to the organization non-tax deductible.[50] 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.[51][52][53]

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.[54][51] Following a joint report[55] 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.[56]

Membership

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.[57][58] 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.[20]

Oath Keepers claimed 35,000 members in 2016, though researchers estimated the figure was about 5,000.[59][60][61] 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.[62] 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.[63] Dozens of elected officials were also found to be linked to the group.[64]

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.[65]

Prominent members

In 2021 forty-eight state and local elected officials and ten seating state lawmakers were members of the Oath Keepers group according to research by the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights.[66]

Elmer Stewart Rhodes

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.[67][68][69]

Kellye SoRelle

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.[70] 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.[71][72] 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.[70] She pleaded guilty on August 21, 2024 to one felony count of obstruction of justice and one misdemeanor count of breaching the Capitol grounds.[73]

Charles A. Dyer

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."[74]

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.[75][76]

Richard Mack

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.[77]

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.[16][17][14]

Wendy Rogers

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.[78]

Kelly Meggs

Meggs led the Florida chapter[79] and the "infamous 'stack' formation of Oath Keepers inside the Capitol"[79] before entering Nancy Pelosi's office during the January 6 United States Capitol attack.[80] He was found guilty of seditious conspiracy at the same trial as Stewart Rhodes in November 2022.[81][82]

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.[83]

Participation in the January 6 United States Capitol attack

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 for conspiracy for planning their activities during the attack on the U.S. Capitol, with six more being added to the indictment in February.[84] 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."[85][86][87] 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.[88] 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.[89]

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."[90] 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."[90]

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.[91][92]

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.[93] 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."[94]

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.[95]

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.[96]

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."[97]

Four members of the group—two from Florida, one from Indiana, and one from Alabama—have pleaded guilty to federal criminal changes arising from their roles in the attack on the Capitol; the four are cooperating with federal authorities.[98]

On November 23, 2021, Stewart Rhodes and the Nevada-incorporated[37] 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.[99]

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."[100]

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.[101]

Seditious conspiracy charges

Twelve Oath Keepers have been charged with seditious conspiracy. Eleven were charged together in January 2022. William Todd Wilson was charged separately.[102][103]

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.[104][105]
  • 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.[106]
  • Brian Ulrich from Guyton, Georgia, pleaded guilty on April 29, 2022 to seditious conspiracy and obstruction.[107][108]

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.[109]

On May 5, 2023, the government filed a motion for upward departure, i.e., a longer sentence than guidelines recommend.[110]

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

On September 27, 2022, jury selection began. Each defendant faced up to 20 years in federal prison.[111]

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.[112][113] 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.[114] Rhodes was convicted on the charge of seditious conspiracy.[69]
  • 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.[115]
  • 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."[116]
  • 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.[117]

Three former members testified against them:[118]

  • 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.[119]

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.[81]

On May 25, 2023, Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years and Meggs was sentenced to 12 years.[120]

On May 26, 2023, Watkins was sentenced to eight and a half years[121] and Harrelson was sentenced to four years.[122]

Trial of Minuta, Hackett, Moerschel, and Vallejo

On January 23, 2023, Roberto Minuta, Joseph Hackett, David Moerschel, and Edward Vallejo were convicted of seditious conspiracy. They had been tried together.[123] 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.[124]

Trial of Connie Meggs

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.[125]

In August 2023, Connie Meggs was sentenced to 15 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release.[126]

Trial of Michael Greene

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.[127]

Trial of Donovan Crowl and James Beeks

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.[128]

Other antigovernment activities

Federal land disputes

Bundy Ranch standoff, 2014

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.[129][130]

Sugar Pine Mine standoff, 2015

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.[131][132] 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.[133][134]

Crissy Field, 2017

In August 2017, a permit was issued by the National Park Service for the August 26 use of Crissy Field[135] to hold a rally by a group calling itself 'Patriot Prayer'.[136] The group's spokesman, Joey Gibson, announced that the Oath Keepers would be providing event security,[137] confirmed to the San Francisco Examiner on August 18 by Stewart Rhodes.[138]

Anti-Hillary Clinton threats, 2016

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."[139][140] Later in 2016, Stewart Rhodes called on members to visit polling places incognito to "hunt down" and document suspected voter fraud.[141]

Threat of violence towards Oregon State Capitol, 2019

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".[142][143][144][145]

Other armed protest activities

See also: Oath Keepers in Kentucky

Military recruitment center presence, 2015

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.[146] 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."[146]

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

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.[147] 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."[147]

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.[148]

Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, 2018

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.[149] 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".[150]

Policies, statements and actions on race and religion

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."[151]

Founder Stewart Rhodes, who has said he is one-quarter Mexican, has disavowed racism and white supremacist ideology on his blog.[152] 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.[153]

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.'"[154][153]

On June 10, 2017, the Oath Keepers participated in providing security in a "March Against Sharia," which were rallies coordinated by ACT for America.[155][156][157][158]

Opposition to Black Lives Matter and antifa

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.[159] According to a member, the ordinance only applied to security employees, while the Oath Keepers were volunteers.[159]

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.[43][160][161][162] 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.[163] St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar told the newspaper that the Oath Keepers' "presence was both unnecessary and inflammatory."[163]

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.[164]

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.[165] 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."[165] 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").[165] The YouTube video contained a disclaimer stating that Page's opinions did not reflect those of the local chapter or national organization.[166]

The group's activities in Ferguson led to them being labeled "vigilantes" by some journalists.[167]

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."[168]

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."[169] 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.[170]

Reception

Larry Keller wrote in the 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."[171] Keller described Richard Mack, an Oath Keeper, as a "longtime militia hero"[171][172] 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."[171] 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."[173][174] 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."[175]

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."[176]

Quoting the Las Vegas Review-Journal, MSNBC political commentator Pat Buchanan wrote: "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."[177][178]

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."[179] On Hardball with Chris Matthews, Matthews questioned Rhodes about his "vigilante group" and on his "strange view of the world."[179]

Protesters have accused the group of racism, especially after groups of white members armed with rifles congregated in Ferguson during demonstrations related to police brutality.[160]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Kriner, Matthew; Lewis, Jon (December 22, 2021). Cruickshank, Paul; Hummel, Kristina (eds.). "The Oath Keepers and Their Role in the January 6 Insurrection" (PDF). CTC Sentinel. 14 (10). West Point, New York: Combating Terrorism Center: 1–18. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 27, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  2. ^ "Oath Keepers membership rolls feature police, military and elected officials". TheGuardian.com. September 7, 2022. Archived from the original on September 21, 2022. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  3. ^ Sources:
  4. ^ Boboltz, Sara (May 25, 2023). "Oath Keepers Founder Sentenced For Seditious Conspiracy Over Jan. 6 Capitol Riot". HuffPost. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  5. ^ Cheney, Kyle (November 29, 2022). "Jury convicts Oath Keeper leaders of seditious conspiracy". Politico. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  6. ^ Barnes, Daniel; Brown-Kaiser, Liz; Gregorian, Dareh; Jester, Julia (January 23, 2023). "Four Oath Keepers convicted of seditious conspiracy in Jan 6 attack". NBC News. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  7. ^ Parascandola, Rocco; Rayman, Graham; McShane, Larry (October 1, 2021). "Two NYPD officers probed for suspected affiliation with far-right militia Oath Keepers, group linked to storming of Capitol". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on October 15, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  8. ^ Mansfield, Erin; Hauck, Grace; Carless, Will (October 2, 2021). "Hack exposes law enforcement officers who signed up to join anti-government Oath Keepers". USA Today. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  9. ^ Lucas, Ryan (April 10, 2021). "Who Are The Oath Keepers? Militia Group, Founder Scrutinized In Capitol Riot Probe". NPR. Archived from the original on November 24, 2021. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  10. ^ McQueen, Eric (June 17, 2021). "Examining Extremism: The Oath Keepers". Centre for Strategic and International Studies. Archived from the original on November 24, 2021. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  11. ^ Jones, Seth G.; Doxsee, Catrina; Suber, James; Hwang, Grace; Harrington, Nicholas (October 22, 2020). "The War Comes Home: The Evolution of Domestic Terrorism in the United States". Centre for Strategic and International Studies. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  12. ^ "Press Release: ADL Report Exposes Tactics of Anti-Government "Oath Keepers"". Anti-Defamation League. Archived from the original on February 1, 2016. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  13. ^ "The Oath Keepers Anti-Government Extremists Recruiting Military and Police". Anti-Defamation League. Archived from the original on January 17, 2017. Retrieved May 19, 2016.
  14. ^ a b Lenz, Ryan (July 25, 2013). "Oath Keepers Rally Reveals Radical Politics of Group". Southern Poverty Law Center. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  15. ^ Lenz, Ryan. "Are the Oath Keepers Fighting 'Martial Law'?". splcenter.org. Southern Poverty Law Center. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  16. ^ a b Lenz, Ryan (May 16, 2013). "Battle Lines". Southern Poverty Law Center. Archived from the original on December 27, 2021. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  17. ^ a b Keller, Larry. "Evidence Grows of Far-Right Militia Resurgence". Southern Poverty Law Center. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  18. ^ a b "Oath Keepers: What anti-hate groups are saying about them". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. August 11, 2015. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  19. ^ Sparling, Hannah K.; Kevin Grasha (January 22, 2021). "Ohio militias: Who are the Oath Keepers, Ohio State Regular Militia?". Cincinnati Enquirer. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  20. ^ a b c d Klinenberg, Danny (October 5, 2022), Selling Violent Extremism, doi:10.2139/ssrn.4239242, S2CID 253089773, SSRN 4239242
  21. ^ McCoy, Terrence (January 1, 2014). "The Oath Keepers: The Little-known Militia Now Roaming the Streets of Ferguson". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 28, 2017. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  22. ^ "Return of armed militia group Oath Keepers to Ferguson raises concern". Chicago Tribune. Associated Press. August 11, 2015. Archived from the original on August 13, 2015. Retrieved August 14, 2015. [Ferguson 2015] wearing camouflage bulletproof vests and openly carrying rifles and pistols on West Florissant Avenue
  23. ^ Dearden, Lizzie (August 11, 2015). "Oath Keepers: Who are white militia at Ferguson protests and why are they allowed to carry guns?". The Independent. Archived from the original on September 15, 2017. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  24. ^ Sakuma, Amanda; Rayford, Bradley J (August 11, 2015). "'Oath Keepers' armed with guns roam streets of Ferguson". MSNBC. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved September 7, 2015. With their hands resting casually on the assault rifles strapped across their chests, the men formed a diamond around their subjects, surveying the area in search of a threat.
  25. ^ Duara, Nigel (August 11, 2015). "'Oath Keepers' with rifles roam among Ferguson protesters, raising concerns". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 20, 2015. Retrieved August 31, 2015. As protests in Ferguson continued on a sweat-soaked Missouri night, at least three men openly carrying assault rifles approached the south end of West Florissant Avenue – and began to attract a crowd themselves.
  26. ^ Fischer, Jordan; Flack, Eric; Wilson, Stephanie (September 8, 2021). "Oath Keepers say Capitol riot charges 'unconstitutionally vague,' want indictment tossed". WUSA9. Archived from the original on September 9, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  27. ^ Richer, Alanna Durkin (September 15, 2021). "Oath Keeper pleads guilty in Jan. 6 riot, will cooperate". AP News. Archived from the original on September 20, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  28. ^ Rabinowitz, Hannah; Polantz, Katelyn; Sneed, Tierney; Lybrand, Holmes (January 13, 2022). "Oath Keepers leader and 10 others charged with 'seditious conspiracy'". CNN. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  29. ^ Curley, Molly (April 29, 2022). "Guyton man pleads guilty to Jan. 6 charges". WSAV. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  30. ^ Reilly, Ryan J. (May 4, 2022). "Third Oath Keepers defendant pleads guilty to sedition in Capitol riot case". NBC News. Archived from the original on May 14, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
  31. ^ Jackman, Tom; Hsu, Spencer S.; Weiner, Rachel (November 29, 2022). "Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes guilty of seditious conspiracy". Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  32. ^ Montague, Zach (January 23, 2023). "Four More Oath Keepers Members Convicted of Sedition in Second Trial". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  33. ^ "Mapping Militant Organizations. "Oath Keepers."". Stanford University. April 2021. Archived from the original on April 21, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  34. ^ "Racism & Identity in the Patriot Movement – Up In Arms". Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  35. ^ Acosta, Jim (November 18, 2009). "Who are the Oathkeepers". CNN. Archived from the original on November 19, 2009. Retrieved November 18, 2009.
  36. ^ "Elmer Stewart Rhodes". Southern Poverty Law Center. Archived from the original on January 30, 2016. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  37. ^ a b "Incorporation Information for the Oath Keepers, Inc". Nevada Secretary of State. Vol. E0559982009-3. State of Nevada. October 22, 2009. Retrieved November 18, 2009.[permanent dead link‍]
  38. ^ Maimon, Alan (October 18, 2009). "Ready To Revolt: Oath Keepers pledges to prevent dictatorship in United States". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on October 25, 2009. Retrieved October 24, 2009.
  39. ^ Dickson, Caitlin (October 15, 2013). "Oath Keepers: Bring On the Collapse!". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  40. ^ "Oath Keepers » Blog Archive » Oath Keepers is Going "Operational" by Forming Special "Civilization Preservation" Teams". October 5, 2013. Archived from the original on October 5, 2013. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  41. ^ "Elmer Stewart Rhodes". Southern Poverty Law Center. Archived from the original on January 30, 2016. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  42. ^ In the Matter of Elmer S. Rhodes Archived April 10, 2022, at the Wayback Machine (Mont. Dec. 8, 2015).
  43. ^ a b Fowler, Sarah (August 12, 2015). "Ferguson unrest: Who are the mysterious 'Oath Keepers'?". BBC News. Archived from the original on August 13, 2015. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  44. ^ Rhodes, Stewart. "Just Following Orders." S.W.A.T. Magazine Apr. 2008. Web. August 20, 2015. Oath-keepers.blogspot.com Archived August 14, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
  45. ^ Levine, Mike (January 6, 2022). "Ex-Oath Keepers Spokesperson Warns Right-Wing 'Propaganda' Is 'More Dangerous Than Bullets". ABC News. Archived from the original on December 4, 2022. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  46. ^ Wilson, Jason (May 12, 2022). "Oath Keepers Leader Stewart Rhodes' Children Speak". Southern Poverty Law Center. Archived from the original on December 1, 2022. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  47. ^ Hanson, Amy Beth (March 24, 2024). "Oath Keepers' son emerges from traumatic childhood to tell his own story in a long shot election bid". Associated Press.
  48. ^ a b Giglio, Michael Anthony (October 28, 2020). "After Covering Civil War Overseas, Journalist Examines U.S. Militia Movement". Fresh Air (Interview). Interviewed by Terry Gross. NPR. Archived from the original on November 6, 2020.
  49. ^ "Oath Keepers :: Nevada (US) :: OpenCorporates". opencorporates.com. Archived from the original on January 1, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  50. ^ Bensinger, Ken; Garrison, Jessica; Singer-Vine, Jeremy; Hernandez, Salvador (May 8, 2021). "The Oath Keepers Are Facing New Obstacles To Recruit And Raise Money Since The Capitol Riot". BuzzFeed News. Archived from the original on November 10, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  51. ^ a b "Extremist and Hate Groups May be Abusing Non-Profit Status". Anti-Defamation League. Archived from the original on January 1, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  52. ^ Evans, Tim. "Amazon boots Indiana Oath Keepers, 4 other militia-type groups from 'Smile' charity program". The Indianapolis Star. Archived from the original on February 27, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  53. ^ Hautala, Laura. "Militia-related groups kicked out of Amazon Smile charitable giving program". CNET. Archived from the original on January 1, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  54. ^ "Tax Exempt Organization Search, Oath Keepers Educational Foundation". IRS. Archived from the original on January 1, 2022. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  55. ^ "Overview of the Use of Funding Platforms by Hate Groups". Bankrolling Bigotry: An Overview of the Online Funding Strategies of American Hate Groups (PDF) (Report). England: Global Disinformation Index. 2020. pp. 16–18. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 11, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  56. ^ "Dollars Against Democracy: Domestic Terrorist Financing in the Aftermath of Insurrection". www.congress.gov. Archived from the original on January 1, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  57. ^ "About Oath Keepers - Oath Keepers". March 30, 2021. Archived from the original on March 30, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  58. ^ "Oath Keepers". Southern Poverty Law Center. Archived from the original on July 4, 2021. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  59. ^ Mahler, Jonathan; Wines, Michael (November 7, 2016). "Fear Is Driving Voting Rights Advocates and Vigilantes to Watch Polling Stations". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 16, 2016. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  60. ^ Savage, Charlie; Goldman, Adam; MacFarquhar, Neil (January 20, 2021). "'This Kettle Is Set to Boil': New Evidence Points to Riot Conspiracy". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  61. ^ Lucas, Ryan (April 5, 2021). "Oath Keepers Founder Is Under Scrutiny, Court Documents Show". NPR. Archived from the original on September 17, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  62. ^ "Oath Keepers". Anti-Defamation League. Archived from the original on December 9, 2020. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  63. ^ Bensinger, Ken; Garrison, Jessica; Miller, Christopher (October 2, 2021). "Hacked Oath Keepers Records Show Active Members Of Law Enforcement And The Military Tried To Join The Group After Jan. 6". BuzzFeed News. Archived from the original on October 15, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  64. ^ Garrison, Jessica; Bensinger, Ken; Singer-Vine, Jeremy (October 20, 2021). "Leaked Oath Keepers Data Shows At Least 28 Elected Officials Have Ties To The Group". BuzzFeed News. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  65. ^ Richer, Alanna Durkin; Kunzelman, Michael (September 7, 2022). "Hundreds of Law Enforcement, Military Part of Jan. 6-Linked Oath Keepers: Report". HuffPost. Archived from the original on September 26, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  66. ^ Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights. (2023). "Breaching the Mainstream: a national survey of Far-Right membership in state legislatures". IREHR website Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  67. ^ Cheney, Kyle (November 29, 2022). "Jury convicts Oath Keepers leader of seditious conspiracy". POLITICO. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  68. ^ Hsu, Spencer S.; Jackman, Tom; Weiner, Rachel (November 29, 2022). "Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes guilty of seditious conspiracy". Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  69. ^ a b Riley, John (November 29, 2022). "Founder of Oath Keepers convicted of seditious conspiracy for the attack on the U.S. Capitol". ktvh.com. Archived from the original on November 30, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
  70. ^ a b Hsu, Spencer S. (June 16, 2023). "Oath Keepers attorney is found incompetent to stand trial in Jan. 6 case". Washington Post. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  71. ^ McCullough, Jolie (September 1, 2022). "Texan Kellye SoRelle, lawyer for Oath Keepers, is charged in Jan. 6 insurrection". texastribune.org. Archived from the original on September 5, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
  72. ^ Richer, Alanna Durkin (September 1, 2022). "Oath Keepers' lawyer Kellye SoRelle arrested in connection with Jan. 6". fox5dc.com. Archived from the original on September 3, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
  73. ^ Fischer, Jordan (August 21, 2024). "Oath Keepers lawyer pleads guilty to ordering militia to destroy evidence after Capitol riot". WUSA.
  74. ^ Rains, Scott (December 20, 2020). "From the Redder Dirt Files: The case of Charles Dyer, from patriot to prison". The Lawton Constitution. Archived from the original on January 12, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
  75. ^ Neiwert, David (2017). Alt-America: the rise of the radical right in the age of Trump. Verso Books. pp. 145–149. ISBN 9781786634238.
  76. ^ Walker, Jesse (May 1, 2010). "Protect & Serve". The American Conservative. Archived from the original on July 22, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  77. ^ Chertock, Marlena; Eaton, Emilie; Marmaduke, Jacy; Stavinoha, Sydney (August 21, 2014). "'No' Sheriff in Town: Some Lawmen Refuse to Enforce Federal Gun Laws". NBC News. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  78. ^ Resnik, Brahm (June 12, 2021). "'Abnormal methods': U.S. attorney general says feds will review Arizona's partisan election audit". 12news. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  79. ^ a b Rabinowitz, Hannah; Lybrand, Holmes (November 29, 2022). "Key things to know about the 5 defendants". CNN. Archived from the original on November 30, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022. Kelly Meggs, 53, is a leader of the Oath Keepers' Florida chapter and, according to the government, led the infamous "stack" formation of Oath Keepers inside the Capitol on January 6.
  80. ^ Musgrave, Jane; Baltz, Holly (June 17, 2021). "6 things to know about U.S. Capitol riot defendants from Palm Beach County". The Palm Beach Post. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
  81. ^ a b Matza, Max; Yousif, Nadine (November 29, 2022). "Oath Keepers: Two members of far-right militia guilty of US sedition". BBC News. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
  82. ^ Reilly, Ryan J.; Barnes, Daniel (November 29, 2022). "Two Oath Keepers, including founder, found guilty of seditious conspiracy in Jan. 6 case". NBC News. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
  83. ^ "Board of Directors". Oath Keepers. Archived from the original on October 11, 2015. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  84. ^ Feuer, Alan; Benner, Katie (February 19, 2021). "More Oath Keeper Suspects Charged in Capitol Riot Plot". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 3, 2021. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  85. ^ David Shortell; Katelyn Polantz; Evan Perez; Zachary Cohen. "Members of extremist Oath Keepers group planned attack on US Capitol, prosecutors say". CNN. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  86. ^ Savage, Charlie (January 19, 2021). "New Evidence Of Conspiracy Among Rioters". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  87. ^ Cooper, Stella; Decker, Ben; Singhvi, Anjali; Triebert, Christiaan (January 29, 2021). "Tracking the Oath Keepers Who Attacked the Capitol". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 31, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
  88. ^ Feuer, Alan (February 11, 2021). "Oath Keepers Plotting Before Capitol Riot Awaited 'Direction' From Trump, Prosecutors Say". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 12, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  89. ^ Lynch, Sarah N. (February 12, 2021). "Five charged with Proud Boys conspiracy in deadly U.S. Capitol attack". Reuters. Archived from the original on February 18, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2021 – via www.reuters.com.
  90. ^ a b Feuer, Alan (February 11, 2021). "Oath Keepers Plotting Before Capitol Riot Awaited 'Direction' From Trump, Prosecutors Say". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 12, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  91. ^ Hsu, Spencer S.; Davis, Aaron C. "Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes was in direct contact with rioters before and during Capitol breach, U.S. alleges". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 10, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  92. ^ Feuer, Alan; Goldman, Adam; Benner, Katie (March 10, 2021). "Oath Keepers Founder Is Said to Be Investigated in Capitol Riot". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 10, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  93. ^ Jackman, Tom. "Alleged organizer in Capitol riot freed from jail as he awaits trial". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 12, 2022.
  94. ^ Hsu, Spencer S.; Jackman, Tom; Barrett, Devlin. "Self-styled militia members planned on storming the U.S. Capitol days in advance of Jan. 6 attack, court documents say". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 17, 2021. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  95. ^ Feuer, Alan (March 24, 2021). "Justice Dept. Links Oath Keepers and Proud Boys Ahead of Capitol Riot". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 24, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  96. ^ Naham, Matt (June 9, 2021). "Prosecutors Use Gateway Pundit Interview, 'Magnetic Locks' Conspiracy Theory Against Marine Veteran Charged in Oath Keepers Case". Law & Crime. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  97. ^ Ramachandran, Shalini; Safdar, Khadeeja; Ballhaus, Rebecca (June 16, 2021). "Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, Forceful on Jan. 6, Privately Are in Turmoil". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on June 21, 2021. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  98. ^ Williams, Pete (July 20, 2021). "Fourth Oath Keeper in Capitol riot pleads guilty, cooperates with FBI". NBC. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  99. ^ Cohen, Marshall (November 23, 2021). "January 6 committee subpoenas Proud Boys and Oath Keepers". CNN. Archived from the original on November 24, 2021. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  100. ^ Polantz, Katelyn; Rabinowitz, Hannah; Perez, Evan; Millman, Andrew (May 9, 2022). "Oath Keepers sharing with January 6 investigators their efforts to find election fraud, communications with Trump allies". CNN. Archived from the original on May 10, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  101. ^ Shuham, Matt (February 23, 2024). "Oath Keeper Who Entered Capitol But Cooperated With Feds Sentenced". HuffPost. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  102. ^ Jansen, Bart. "DOJ charges 11 Oath Keepers, including leader, with seditious conspiracy in Jan. 6 Capitol attack". USA Today. Archived from the original on January 13, 2022. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  103. ^ "READ: Seditious conspiracy indictment related to US Capitol attack". CNN. January 13, 2022. Archived from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
  104. ^ "Leader of North Carolina Chapter of Oath Keepers Pleads Guilty to Seditious Conspiracy and Obstruction of Congress for Efforts to Stop Transfer of Power Following 2020 Presidential Election". U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia (Press release). May 4, 2022. Archived from the original on August 12, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
  105. ^ Reilly, Ryan J. (May 4, 2022). "Third Oath Keepers defendant pleads guilty to sedition in Capitol riot case". NBC News. Archived from the original on May 14, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
  106. ^ Lybrand, Holmes; Rabinowitz, Hannah; Polantz, Katelyn (March 2, 2022). "Oath Keeper pleads guilty to seditious conspiracy and will cooperate with Justice Department". CNN.
  107. ^ Curley, Molly (April 29, 2022). "Guyton man pleads guilty to Jan. 6 charges". WSAV. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  108. ^ Office of Public Affairs, Department of Justice (April 29, 2022). "Member of Georgia Chapter of Oath Keepers Pleads Guilty to Seditious Conspiracy and Obstruction of Congress for Efforts to Stop Transfer of Power Following 2020 Presidential Election". justice.gov. Archived from the original on September 3, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
  109. ^ Polantz, Katelyn (July 30, 2022). "Justice Department doesn't want Oath Keepers to blame Trump at trial". CNN. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
  110. ^ U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (May 5, 2023). "Government Omnibus Sentencing Memorandum and Motion for Upward Departure — USA v. Rhodes, Meggs, Harrelson, Watkins, Minuta, Hackett, Moerschel, Caldwell, and Vallejo". DocumentCloud. Archived from the original on May 6, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  111. ^ Rabinowitz, Hannah; Lybrand, Holmes (September 27, 2022). "Historic trial for Oath Keepers leader and his top lieutenants over January 6 set to begin | CNN Politics". CNN. Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  112. ^ Legare, Robert; Macfarlane, Scott (September 28, 2022). "Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and four codefendants face jury in highest-profile Jan. 6 trial". cbsnews.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  113. ^ Legare, Robert (September 29, 2022). "Jury seated in high-profile Oath Keepers seditious conspiracy trial after three days of questioning". CBS News. Archived from the original on October 5, 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  114. ^ Whitehurst, Lindsay (November 2, 2022). "Witness: Oath Keepers head tried to reach Trump after Jan. 6". AP News. Archived from the original on November 3, 2022. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  115. ^ J.D. Gallop (January 14, 2022). "Titusville man and Oath Keepers' founder face new charges of sedition for Capitol riot role". Florida Today. Archived from the original on September 28, 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  116. ^ Caniglia, John (May 20, 2022). "New charges accuse Ohio bartender of sedition with leader of the Oath Keepers in attack on U.S. Capitol". Cleveland Plain Dealer. Archived from the original on January 26, 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  117. ^ Dasgupta, Sonia (January 13, 2022). "Virginia man among Oath Keepers charged in seditious conspiracy during Jan. 6 Capitol riot". WJLA. Archived from the original on January 15, 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  118. ^ Cheney, Kyle (October 31, 2022). "'Sorry for what I did': Oath Keeper who pleaded guilty for Jan. 6 breach breaks down on the stand". politico. Archived from the original on November 2, 2022. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  119. ^ Hsu, Spencer S.; Jackman, Tom (November 7, 2022). "Oath Keepers' leader Rhodes denies conspiracy to enter Capitol on Jan. 6". Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 7, 2022. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  120. ^ Boboltz, Sara (May 25, 2023). "Oath Keepers Founder Sentenced For Seditious Conspiracy Over Jan. 6 Capitol Riot". HuffPost. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  121. ^ O'Connor, Lydia (May 26, 2023). "Army Vet Oath Keeper Sentenced To 8.5 Years In Prison For Jan. 6 Attack". HuffPost. Archived from the original on May 26, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  122. ^ Hsu, Spencer S. (May 26, 2023). "More Oath Keepers convicted with Rhodes for Jan. 6 attack are sentenced". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on May 26, 2023. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  123. ^ "Four Oath Keepers Found Guilty of Seditious Conspiracy Related to U.S. Capitol Breach". www.justice.gov. January 23, 2023. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  124. ^ "Four More Oath Keepers Sentenced for Seditious Conspiracy Related to U.S. Capitol Breach". www.justice.gov. June 2, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  125. ^ Thompson, Buster (July 2, 2022). "Trial bumped for Dunnellon woman charged alongside husband in Capitol attack". Citrus County Chronicle. Archived from the original on October 3, 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  126. ^ "Four Members of the Oath Keepers Sentenced for Roles in Jan. 6 Capitol Breach". September 2023.
  127. ^ Hsu, Spencer S. (July 21, 2023). "Judge rejects jail for Oath Keepers' Jan. 6 'operations coordinator'". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
  128. ^ Jackman, Tom; Hsu, Spencer S. (July 12, 2023). "Judge convicts one of first Oath Keepers arrested in Jan. 6 riot". Washington Post. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  129. ^ Henandez, Daniel (April 3, 2014). "Federal rangers face off against armed protesters in Nevada 'range war'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on April 14, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  130. ^ Botkin, Ben (April 13, 2014). "Bundy ranch dispute with federal land agency draws variety of foot soldiers". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on September 16, 2015. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  131. ^ Urquhart, Jim (April 23, 2015). "Oregon mine that summoned armed guards in land dispute files appeal". Reuters. Archived from the original on October 8, 2015. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  132. ^ Moriarty, Thomas (April 23, 2015). "Armed protesters gather at Medford BLM office over Sugar Pine Mine dispute". Mail Tribune. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  133. ^ Puckett, Karl (August 6, 2015). "Constitution advocates issue cease, desist order at mine". Great Falls Tribune. Archived from the original on February 8, 2016. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  134. ^ Swearingen, Marshall (August 12, 2015). "Dispatch from White Hope Mine dispute in Montana". High Country News. Archived from the original on August 13, 2015. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  135. ^ "First Amendment Permits". NPS. Archived from the original on August 24, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  136. ^ "News Conference". www.facebook.com. Archived from the original on August 25, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  137. ^ Walter, Shoshana; Williams, Lance (August 23, 2017). "Guns banned from Saturday's 'Patriot Prayer' in San Francisco". revealnews.org. Archived from the original on August 24, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  138. ^ Rodriguez, Joe Fitzgerald (August 18, 2017). "Oath Keepers confirm militia will attend controversial Crissy Field rally". San Francisco Examiner. Archived from the original on August 24, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  139. ^ Blue, Miranda (April 21, 2016). "Oath Keepers Website Warns Clinton Victory Could Lead To 'Outright Civil War'". Right Wing Watch. People for the American Way. Archived from the original on April 24, 2016. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  140. ^ Smith, Brandon (April 14, 2016). "The Weirdest Possible Outcomes For The Strangest Election In U.S. History". Oath Keepers. Archived from the original on April 15, 2016. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  141. ^ Sullivan, Kevin (October 27, 2016). "Militia group calls on members to patrol polls on Election Day". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 28, 2016. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  142. ^ Zimmerman, Sarah; Flaccus, Gillan (June 22, 2019). "Militia threat shuts down Oregon Statehouse amid walkout". Associated Press. Archived from the original on June 25, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  143. ^ Radnovich, Connor (June 22, 2019). "Saturday Senate session canceled after potential threat of militia protest violence". Salem Statesman Journal. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  144. ^ Szekely, Peter (June 23, 2019). "Oregon Capitol building closed as precaution amid partisan dispute". Reuters. Archived from the original on June 25, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  145. ^ Lubben, Alex (June 25, 2019). "Let's Check In on Those Oregon Republicans Who Fled the Capital, Shall We?". Vice News. Archived from the original on June 25, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  146. ^ a b Tritten, Travis (July 22, 2015). "Army to recruiters: Treat armed citizens as security threat". Stars & Stripes. Archived from the original on July 11, 2017. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
  147. ^ a b Badash, David (September 10, 2015). "Kim Davis wont be arrested again promise patriot militia group". thenewcivilrightsmovement.com. Archived from the original on September 12, 2015. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
  148. ^ "Kim Davis' Legal Team Declines Oath Keepers' Offer to Protect Her Against Unlawul Arrrest [sic]". September 9, 2015. Archived from the original on September 13, 2015. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  149. ^ Eltagouri, Marwa (February 28, 2018). "Far-right group calls for armed militias to stand watch outside US schools". The Independent. Archived from the original on March 10, 2018. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  150. ^ Eltagouri, Marwa (February 27, 2018). "A militia group hopes it can stop shootings by posting armed volunteers outside each school". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on February 28, 2018. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  151. ^ "Oath Keepers Bylaws – Oath Keepers". November 12, 2021. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  152. ^ Giglio, Mike (September 30, 2020). "A Pro-Trump Militant Group Has Recruited Thousands of Police, Soldiers, and Veterans". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on August 13, 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  153. ^ a b "Racism & Identity in the Patriot Movement – Up In Arms". Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  154. ^ Smith, Brandon (August 13, 2019). "How To Stamp Out Cultural Marxism In A Single Generation – Oath Keepers". Archived from the original on August 13, 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  155. ^ "Live-Blog: ACT for America's "March Against Sharia" Rallies". Southern Poverty Law Center. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  156. ^ Gjelten, Tom (June 10, 2017). "'March Against Sharia' Planned Across The U.S." NPR. Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  157. ^ Quraishi-Landes, Asifa (June 24, 2016). "Five myths about sharia". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on August 12, 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  158. ^ Awad, Abed (June 14, 2012). "The True Story of Sharia in American Courts". The Nation. ISSN 0027-8378. Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  159. ^ a b Bogan, Jesse (December 2, 2014). "'Oath Keepers' are back on the rooftops in Ferguson despite St. Louis County ordinance". St Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original on August 1, 2016. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  160. ^ a b Laughland, Oliver; Swaine, Jon; Walters, Joanna (August 12, 2015). "White militiamen roam Ferguson with rifles while black men wrongly arrested". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on December 12, 2016. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  161. ^ "Heavily armed 'Oath Keepers' inject new unease in Ferguson". The Irish Times. August 11, 2015. Archived from the original on September 15, 2015. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  162. ^ "Oath Keepers arrival at Ferguson protest 'inflammatory,' top cop says". Fox News. August 11, 2015. Archived from the original on August 15, 2015. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  163. ^ a b Larimer, Sarah; Phillip, Abby (August 11, 2015). "Who are the Oath Keepers, and why has the armed group returned to Ferguson?". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 12, 2015. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  164. ^ Bambury, Brent. "An Oath Keeper on guns, race and Ferguson". CBC Radio. Archived from the original on September 17, 2015. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
  165. ^ a b c Saul, Heather (August 23, 2014). "Ferguson riots: St Louis police officer Dan Page suspended over video". The Independent. Archived from the original on September 14, 2017. Retrieved September 7, 2016.
  166. ^ McLaughlin, Michael (August 23, 2014). "Cop In Ferguson Suspended For Video Of Bigoted Views". HuffPost. Archived from the original on August 22, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  167. ^ Vale, Paul (December 1, 2014). "Vigilante 'Oath Keepers' Offering Free Security In Ferguson Told To Stand Down By St. Louis Police". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on December 3, 2014. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
  168. ^ Giglio, Michael Anthony (November 2020). "A Pro-Trump Militant Group Has Recruited Thousands of Police, Soldiers, and Veterans". The Atlantic. ISSN 2151-9463. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020.
  169. ^ Shuham, Matt (September 1, 2020). "With Itchy Trigger Fingers, Some Right Wingers Predict The Next Civil War Has Finally Arrived". Talking Points Memo. Archived from the original on October 4, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  170. ^ Jackson, Sam (September 11, 2020). "The long, dangerous history of right-wing calls for violence and civil war". Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 31, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  171. ^ a b c Keller, Larry (August 2009). "The Second Wave: Return of the Militias". A Special Report from the Southern Poverty Law Center. Montgomery, Alabama: 5–10. Archived from the original on July 24, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2013.
  172. ^ Fausset, Richard (September 18, 2009). "Oath Keepers organizer sees need to sound an alarm". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 23, 2009. Retrieved November 2, 2009.
  173. ^ "Sheriff Richard Mack (RET) Responds to Southern Poverty Law Center Smear Attack on Oath Keepers and on Sheriff Mack" (Press release). Oath Keepers. August 14, 2009. Archived from the original on August 27, 2009. Retrieved November 3, 2009.
  174. ^ Johnson, Jon (September 2, 2009). "Local man appears on Internet news show". Eastern Arizona Courier. Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Retrieved November 3, 2009.
  175. ^ Wang, Hansi Lo. Oath Keepers Say They're Defending Ferguson; Others Say They're Not Helping Archived July 19, 2018, at the Wayback Machine. NPR (August 12, 2015).
  176. ^ Rage Grows in America: Anti‑Government Conspiracies: Oath Keepers Archived October 4, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, Anti-Defamation League (November 2009), p. 26.
  177. ^ Buchanan, Patrick Joseph (October 20, 2009). "Alienated and Radicalized". MSNBC. Archived from the original on October 19, 2011. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
  178. ^ Maimon, Alan (October 18, 2009). "Oath Keepers pledges to prevent dictatorship in United States". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  179. ^ a b Maimon, Alan (October 25, 2009). "Ready To Defend: Oath Keepers speak out at inaugural conference". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on October 27, 2009. Retrieved October 25, 2009.

Further reading

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oath_Keepers&oldid=1256008157"