OnPolitics: Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes sentenced to 18 years. Why it matters.
Hello there, OnPolitics readers. The founder of a right-wing militia group was sentenced to nearly two decades in prison today for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. Let’s get into it.
Oath Keepers’ founder Stewart Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years in prison and 3 years of supervised release following his conviction of seditious conspiracy in connection to the Capitol attack
🎬 Scene: Sporting an orange jumpsuit and his signature eyepatch under wire frame glasses, Rhodes brazenly addressed the court before the sentence was handed down, calling himself a "political prisoner" with "preordained guilt from Day One.”
Why it matters: Rhodes' sentence is the first one given to someone found guilty of seditious conspiracy – a rare, Civil War era charge linked to the Jan. 6 riot.
The Justice Department sought a 25-year prison sentence for Rhodes and prosecutors depicted him as the “orchestrator” and “architect” of the attack on the Capitol during the trial.
Keep reading: Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes sentenced to 18 years in prison for Jan. 6 Capitol attack
More Capitol Hill riot: Judge gives 54-month sentence to Jan. 6 rioter who put feet up on desk in Nancy Pelosi's office
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: OnPolitics: Oath Keepers founder sentenced to 18 years in prison
