Oath Keepers founder Elmer Stewart Rhodes is in court this week facing charges over his involvement in the Jan. 6 attack on Congress.
In court on Wednesday, audio clips of Rhodes were played to illustrate his anger at both House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence. "If he's not going to do the right thing, and he's just gonna' let himself be removed illegally, then we should have brought rifles. We could have fixed it right then and there. I'd hang f*ckin' Pelosi from the lampost."
Coming into court on Thursday, Rhodes' attorney acknowledged that it probably wasn't helpful in light of the recent attack on Pelosi's husband by a man who said he wanted to break her kneecaps, Law and Crime News reporter Adam Klasfeld reported.
As a result of the attack on Pelosi and the speech by President Joe Biden Wednesday night imploring Americans to save democracy. His lawyer indicated that he wants to voir dire the jury on whether they heard the speech, where Biden quoted the assailant asking, "Where's Nancy? Where's Nancy?" Biden noted that those were the same words used by the mob on Jan. 6.
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Civil Rights attorney Andrew Laufer noted that if he was Rhodes' defense counsel, he would be concerned about the Pelosi big as well.
"It’s almost as if a person’s words and thoughts in combination with all of his planning and action could have consequences in this life," replied tech and video game journalist James Mielke.
Rhodes was indicted along with ten other individuals for seditious conspiracy and other offenses in Jan. 2022 by the Justice Department. The indictment at the time alleged that the defendants "conspired through a variety of manners and means, including: organizing into teams that were prepared and willing to use force and to transport firearms and ammunition into Washington, D.C.; recruiting members and affiliates to participate in the conspiracy; organizing trainings to teach and learn paramilitary combat tactics; bringing and contributing paramilitary gear, weapons and supplies – including knives, batons, camouflaged combat uniforms, tactical vests with plates, helmets, eye protection and radio equipment – to the Capitol grounds; breaching and attempting to take control of the Capitol grounds and building on Jan. 6, 2021, in an effort to prevent, hinder and delay the certification of the electoral college vote; using force against law enforcement officers while inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021; continuing to plot, after Jan. 6, 2021, to oppose by force the lawful transfer of presidential power, and using websites, social media, text messaging and encrypted messaging applications to communicate with co-conspirators and others."
