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By Gabe Whisnant
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A Barack Obama-appointed federal judge delivered a somber assessment of the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack Tuesday while "reluctantly" handing a legal victory to members of the Oath Keepers militia, granting the Justice Department's request to dismiss cases against defendants including founder Stewart Rhodes.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta formally wiped away the convictions of Rhodes and other Oath Keepers members who had been found guilty of seditious conspiracy for plotting to stop the transfer of power after President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. The nine defendants had already been released from prison after Trump pardoned nearly all 1,600 people charged in the attack and commuted the sentences of the remaining defendants.
Rhodes' attorney, James Lee Bright, wrote on X, "This chapter is now over. Congrats to the remaining defendants. Seditious Conspiracy should never have been charged. It was absolute used fundamentally in the case of our client, Stewart Rhodes, as a thought crime."
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Newsweek has reached out to the Oath Keepers via email on Tuesday afternoon for comment.
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While dismissing the cases, Mehta sharply criticized the outcome, writing that: "This is the last of the prosecutions seeking to hold accountable those responsible for the events of January 6. That book is now closed. Today's epilogue diminishes the gravity of that day, denigrates the work of the prosecutors and law enforcement officers who secured these convictions, and excuses criminal acts that caused a centuries-long pillar of our democracy-the peaceful transfer of presidential power-to buckle."
"The court cannot write a different ending," Mehta added, lamenting the final resolution even as he granted the government's request.
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How the Oath Keepers Case Unraveled
On January 6, 2021, members of the Oath Keepers were among the thousands of Trump supporters who converged on the U.S. Capitol as Congress met to certify Joe Biden's 2020 election victory. Prosecutors later alleged that Oath Keepers leaders and associates coordinated efforts to stop the peaceful transfer of presidential power.
Nearly 1,600 people faced federal charges related to the Capitol riot. More than 1,000 of them pleaded guilty, while roughly 250 were convicted by a judge or jury following trials. More than 1,100 were sentenced and more than 700 received prison terms ranging from several days to 22 years.
During the riot, more than 130 police officers were injured. At least four officers who were at the Capitol that day later died by suicide. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who was assaulted with pepper spray, suffered two strokes and died on January 7. A medical examiner later concluded that he died of natural causes.
The Justice Department brought some of the most serious January 6 charges against the group, including seditious conspiracy. In 2022 and 2023, Rhodes and several other members were convicted after lengthy federal trials, marking some of the highest-profile convictions arising from the Capitol attack. Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
After returning to office, Trump issued sweeping clemency for nearly all January 6 defendants. Rhodes and the other Oath Keepers defendants covered by Tuesday's ruling had already been released from prison.
The Justice Department subsequently moved to dismiss the remaining cases, leading U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta to vacate the convictions and close the prosecutions.
Oath Keepers: What to Know
The Oath Keepers is a far-right anti-government militia organization founded in 2009 by Rhodes, 59, a former Army paratrooper and Yale Law School graduate. The group primarily recruited current and former military personnel, police officers and first responders, arguing that members should refuse government orders they believe violate the Constitution. The organization gained national attention through its involvement in armed standoffs and protests over the past decade, but it became most closely associated with the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Speaking to The Gateway Pundit in November 2025, Rhodes confirmed he is “relaunching” and “rebuilding” the Oath Keepers. “They tried to take us out after January 6, but what man means for evil, God will use for good,” Rhodes said in the interview.
“I came out stronger after it, and so my goal is to rebuild the organization stronger than ever because it’s an essential mission,” he added.
This is a breaking news article. Updates to follow.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Gray R. Thomas
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