The Biden administration DOJ in conjunction with the US Attorney for the District of Columbia are threatening the “Oath Keepers” with life in prison as part of the charge of seditious conspiracy.
The Oath Keepers are a right-wing anti-Government group that believes it’s patriotic to protect the constitution no matter what. They are often pictured in military gear and were founded by Stewart Rhodes.
From an interview with Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, members of the Oath Keepers thought that they had backing from the White House and members of Congress and told this to the January 6th committee. It doesn’t seem that any connection or coordination was proven, though, between President Trump and the Oath Keepers.
Mathew Graves, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia handling the prosecution, imposed a deadline of May 6 for any participants to accept the offered plea deals. Three men have plead guilty so far to the conspiracy and nine others have rejected the government attempts to reach a plea. Stewart Rhodes, the oath keepers leader, has rejected the plea deal so far.
“We write to advise you of applicable penalties that could apply upon conviction at trial,” Graves’ chief prosecutor in the case, Kathyrn Rakoczy, wrote to defense attorneys in a letter dated May 2.
Sedition is a crime that is so rarely convicted that Federal sentencing guidelines don’t cover it.
“The United States takes the position that the most analogous offense to seditious conspiracy is ‘Treason,’” Rakoczy wrote. If a jury concludes the conspiracy involved conduct “that is tantamount to waging war against the United States.” This means that the fed could seek a life sentence if these men are convicted.
The literal definition of sedition is anyone who “conspire to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States, or to levy war against them, or to oppose by force the authority thereof, or by force to prevent, hinder, or delay the execution of any law of the United States, or by force to seize, take, or possess any property of the United States contrary to the authority thereof.”
Graves’ has indicted 12 Oath Keepers with seditious conspiracy. They are not being accused of carrying weapons, or with vandalizing government property.
Do you think these are the correct charges or that they are fair?
