Judge condemns Oath Keepers leader over ‘political prisoner’ claims

A federal judge chastised Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes on Thursday over his claim that being convicted of seditious conspiracy for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot makes him a “political prisoner.”

Ahead of his sentencing Thursday, Rhodes claimed the only crime he is guilty of is “opposing those who are destroying our country.”

“I believe this country is incredibly divided. And this prosecution — not just of me, but of all J6ers — is making it even worse,” Rhodes said, according to Reuters. “I consider every J6er a political prisoner and all of them are being grossly overcharged.”

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta firmly rejected Rhodes’s assertion as he handed down an 18-year sentence.

“You’re not a political prisoner, Mr. Rhodes. You’re here because of your actions,” Mehta said, according to The New York Times.

“You, sir, present an ongoing threat and a peril to this country, to the Republic and the very fabric of our democracy,” the judge added.

Rhodes did not physically enter the Capitol on Jan. 6, instead directing members of his far-right extremist group via walkie-talkie as they made their way into the building in a military-style “stack” formation.

Former President Trump and several of his GOP supporters in Congress have repeatedly decried the arrests of those who participated in the insurrection, describing them as “political prisoners.”

Earlier this month, Mehta dismissed a similar claim from another Jan. 6 rioter, Peter Schwartz, who is sentenced to more than 14 years in prison for attacking police with pepper spray and a chair.

“You are not a political prisoner,” the judge said at the time. “You’re not somebody who is standing up against injustice or fighting against an autocratic regime.”

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