According to a new report, six people who are members of the Oath Keepers served as guards to Robert Stone before storming the Capitol.
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The New York Times found video footage that shows the group protecting Stone, a friend and former advisor of former President Donald J. Trump on both Jan. 5 and the day of the violent attack. They were all found to be associated with the Oath Keepers, a national right-wing militia organization that has provided security for right-wing figures during public events in the past, according to the report.
During the afternoon on Jan. 5, Stone is driven around by one of the six Oath Keepers while the others were on foot after he delivered a speech at the U.S. Supreme Court. They continued to provide safety services to Stone later on the same day when he spoke at a political rally on behalf of Trump.
“We will win this fight or America will step off into a thousand years of darkness,” he said during the event, according to the Times.
On the morning of Jan. 6, members are still seen standing guard for Stone before he returned to a hotel for the remainder of the day. While Stone himself was not pictured participating in the insurrection, he shared footage from various speeches and rallies online, according to the report. The Oath Keepers who surrounded him a majority of the time before the riots began, however, were pictured participating in the violent events.
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The New York Times reports that Stone issued a statement on Feb. 10 regarding those who stormed the federal building. According to the report, he stated he “saw no evidence whatsoever of illegal activity by any members” of the Oath Keepers, and continued to share that if there is proof members did participate, then “they should be prosecuted.”
As theGrio reported, Stone was afforded a pardon by Trump during the final days of his presidential term after having his sentence commuted by the former president. Other pardons were issued to former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, Charles Kushner, former national security adviser Michael Flynn, and campaign adviser George Papadopoulos.
So far, at least four people facing criminal charges related to the events have alleged ties to the Oath Keepers, according to theGrio. One person, Jessica Watkins, a military veteran, allegedly recruited people and trained them for the insurrection. Watkins has been indicted for conspiracy and additional charges. Her lawyer maintains she believed she was following Trump’s direction.
“Her concern about taking action without his backing was evident in a Nov. 9, 2020, text in which she stated, ‘I am concerned this is an elaborate trap. Unless the POTUS himself activates us, it’s not legit. The POTUS has the right to activate units too. If Trump asks me to come, I will. Otherwise, I can’t trust it.’”
Watkins believed that she’d seen her desired signal by the end of December,” stated the Justice Department filing, according to the report.
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