Oath Keepers provide security during the Patriots Day Free Speech Rally in Berkeley, California, U.S., April 15, 2017. REUTERS/Jim Urquhart
Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
I am registering
WASHINGTON, July 9 (Reuters) – A member of the extremist group Oath Keepers brought explosives to the Washington, D.C., area ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump, according to the Justice Department on USA.
In a court filing, federal prosecutors allege that Jeremy Brown, a Florida Oath Keepers member, drove explosives to a Virginia hotel in his recreational vehicle on Jan. 6. A second member of the group, Thomas Caldwell, was later found in possession of a “death list” that included the name of a Georgia election official, according to the document.
In a statement released by his attorney, Caldwell denied the allegations against him. “The claim by the Department of Justice that I wanted to kill election workers is 100% false and a disgusting lie. “Unfortunately, the mountain of exculpatory evidence that exonerates me is being hidden from the public by the Department of Justice through protective orders,” the statement read.
Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
I am registering
A legal representative for Brown was not immediately available for comment.
The 28-page court document, filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., details evidence the Justice Department is likely to present later this year in the seditious conspiracy trial against members of the Oath Keepers, including Caldwell and the group’s leader Stewart Rhodes. He named Brown as an unindicted co-conspirator.
The filing came as the congressional panel investigating the January 6 riot prepares to hold two hearings next week. The hearing, scheduled for Tuesday, is expected to focus on efforts to rally Trump supporters, including members of the extremist groups Oath Keepers and Proud Boys, to the Capitol. Read more
The Jan. 6 attack occurred as Congress worked to certify President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory over Trump. U.S. Congresswoman Liz Cheney, a Republican committee member, said Trump could face criminal charges for allegedly encouraging the attack with false claims that the election was stolen from him. Read more
More than 840 people were accused of taking part in the Capitol riot, attacking police and sending lawmakers scrambling for safety. About 250 defendants have pleaded guilty, including some members of the Oath Keepers.
Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
I am registering
Reporting by David Morgan
Our standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Add Comment