Oath Keepers Founder Turns On Key Militia Member in FBI Jan 6th Interview
Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes reportedly told the FBI he was “cut out” of his group’s plans on January 6th and “did not have a specific plan for Oath Keepers to enter the Capitol” according to a new report from BuzzFeed’s Ken Bensinger.
Bensinger writes that Rhodes “threw Kelly Meggs, a Floridian who only recently joined the Oath Keepers, under the bus. He only accepted responsibility for ‘appointing Kelly Meggs to a leadership position.'” Rhodes also blamed Meggs, who’s accused of being one of the Oath Keepers’ “team leaders” during the insurrection, for “making a bad decision like entering the Capitol.” Rhodes had allegedly told members of the far-right militia group after the Capitol riot that they were in a “more deadly” situation than the founders of the United States faced during the American Revolution.
Rhodes, who received a subpoena from the January 6th House Select Committee, hasn’t yet been charged in the Capitol riot, although several alleged members of his militia movement have—and some have even pleaded guilty.
"How can you prosecute a conspiracy case without charging their leader…"
Oath Keeper defense counsel finally asking the right questions about Stewart Rhodes pic.twitter.com/pIdFqJrePp
— Darren J. Beattie 🌐 (@DarrenJBeattie) December 8, 2021
Although Rhodes’ interview with the FBI took place in May, the details were first disclosed in a new court filing by Department of Justice lawyers in the case of Oath Keepers member Kenneth Harrelson. Bensinger reports that “It’s notable (because) nothing has been known of that interview or whether the FBI is targeting Rhodes, who was in communication (with) the defendants on Jan. 6 and outside the Capitol, but has not been charged,” Bensinger writes. “The disclosure … makes it clear that (Rhodes) wants to wash his hands of the whole affair, claiming that neither he nor ‘Person Ten’ — his deputy for Jan. 6 activities — had anything to do with storming the Capitol.”
In an interview w/ the FBI, Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes said he was "cut out" of planning on Jan. 6, "did not have a specific plan for Oath Keepers to enter the Capitol" & blamed Kelly Meggs for making "a bad decision like entering the Capitol," per a new court filing. pic.twitter.com/MGnGdpYuwc
— Ken Bensinger (@kenbensinger) December 10, 2021
Rhodes previously has revealed that he “spoke freely with FBI agents about the Capitol assault for nearly three hours,” even though his lawyer strongly advised him against doing so, Bensinger notes.
I should note that Rhodes publicly expressed such sentiments in the aftermath of Jan 6, but this is the first time (I think) that we have learned about what he told the FBI
— Ken Bensinger (@kenbensinger) December 10, 2021