Four oath keepers convicted of seditious conspiracy by Washington DC Federal Court for attempting to nullify the 2020 election.
Members of the extremist group Oath Keepers stand on the east front of the US Capitol on January 6.
Monday, four members of the far-right Oath Keepers militia have been found guilty of seditious conspiracy by a federal court in Washington, DC. They were put on trial for their actions to overturn the 2020 election results and keep former President Donald Trump in power. The defendants, Roberto Minuta, Joseph Hackett, David Moerschel and Edward Vallejo, were also found guilty of two other conspiracy charges. The verdict comes nearly two months after the group’s leader, Stewart Rhodes, was convicted of the same offense in a separate trial, along with Kelly Meggs, leaders of the group’s Florida chapter. Seditious conspiracy is a crime based on an attempt to overthrow the US government. On Jan. 6, 2021, Minuta, Hackett, and Moerschel were among those who breached the Capitol building, while Vallejo, who was stationed in Virginia with a hotel room full of guns, offered to bring guns into the city if necessary.
[Read more about the pre-planning, weapons purchases, and coordination here]
Understanding the events of January 6
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Calendar: On January 6, 2021, 64 days after Election Day 2020, a crowd of supporters of President Donald J. Trump raided the Capitol. Here is closer how the attack went.
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Lives lost: A bipartisan Senate report said at least 140 police officers were injured and 5 gave their lives in the deadly attack. Read the stories of Capitol Police on January 6.
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Bipartisan inquiry: Over the past year, a bipartisan inquiry, led by members of the Republican and Democratic parties, has held 9 House committee hearings. Read and watch video and written summaries of the nine hearings.
The jury reached a decision after 15 hours of deliberation over three days. It came amid a number of other ongoing trials for activities related to the January 6 riot, including one for members of a separate far-right group, the Proud Boys, who were also involved in the crowd outside the Capitol on January 6. The seditious conspiracy ruling came just hours after another jury found the rioter, Richard Barnett, guilty of eight counts, including obstructing official process and stealing government property.
The four defendants could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the seditious conspiracy charges.
