Members of the Oath Keepers, a far-right militia group, could soon be getting plea offers from federal prosecutors for their involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol Riot, Reuters reported Tuesday.
Department of Justice (DOJ) lawyer Kathryn Rakoczy said in a court hearing that the plea deals could be offered to militia members and associates “over next month or two,” according to Reuters.
Justice Dept is making very clear that they expect to offer PLEA DEALS to accused Jan 6 conspirators from the OathKeepers this summer
They’d likely require full cooperation in the federal investigation
Who are they going to flip?
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) June 1, 2021
The Tuesday hearing in front of U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta was in connection to a criminal case involving 16 Oath Keepers members and others who allegedly conspired ahead of the Jan. 6 Capitol Riot, Reuters reported. Judge Mehta reportedly suggested it may be impossible to try all the defendants in the same case, and has yet to set a trial date. (RELATED: 9 Oath Keepers Indicted After Using Military Tactics During Capitol Riot)
“I don’t know if in the history of this courthouse we’ve had a 16-plus defendant trial,” Mehta claimed, according to Reuters. The case against the 16 individuals is reportedly the largest and most complex case being pursued by the DOJ for the Jan. 6 Capitol Riot.
Prosecutors previously announced in March that they had uncovered new evidence that showed Oath Keepers militia members were planning to carry out violence during the Jan. 6 Capitol Riot, according to Reuters. The coordination allegedly goes to the top of the Oath Keepers group.
“Our posture’s gonna be that we’re posted outside of DC, um, awaiting the president’s orders,” Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes allegedly said, according to the DOJ’s court filing. “We hope he will give us the orders. We want him to declare an insurrection, and to call us up as militia.”
New Oath Keepers indictment just dropped; adds more names; provides more details of planning and coordination. Worth a read: https://t.co/jLQF4y6L8z
— Frank Figliuzzi (@FrankFigliuzzi1) May 30, 2021
Thus far, one defendant has pleaded guilty to charges brought against him for the Capitol Riot. Over a dozen other defendants’ lawyers previously told Reuters they had received plea offers, but rejected them because they believed the terms were excessive.