Stephenson County officials call for investigation into reported Oath Keeper ties

Some Freeport officials are asking for the removal of a high-ranking member of the Stephenson County Sheriff's Office after a major Illinois newspaper reported he was a member of an anti-government extremist group.

The Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ Chicago reported this week that they gained access to a leaked membership list for the Oath Keepers and identified Chief Deputy Andrew Schroeder, second-in-command of the sheriff's department, as a member. The article said Schroeder became an Oath Keeper when he was working for the Freeport Police Department.

The far-right extremists have come to be known for playing a prominent role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Wednesday, Jodi Coss, chair of the Stephenson County Democratic Party, said any officers' affiliation with the group should be a concern to all residents regardless of their political affiliation.

"I think that anyone who is a member of the Oath Keepers should not be allowed on our police and sheriff's departments," she said.

More: Rockford-area sheriff tied to group described as 'extreme-right' and 'anti-government'

Coss said she is trying to determine if Schroeder's ties to the group are a violation of the sheriff's department's code of ethics or code of conduct.

"I also feel like we really need a full investigation because I want to know if there are more members of our sheriff's department and Freeport Police Department who are associated with these kinds of groups," she said.

Stephenson County Board member Jim Hart, who caucuses with the Democrats, but identifies himself as an independent, said, "I am absolutely shocked and dismayed that we have a member of our county sheriff's office that's an Oath Keeper.

"Secondly, I most certainly hope that our sheriff did not know anything about this, and I have no reason to believe that he did. And I hope that no one in our county government, including our current chairman, knew anything about this."

On Thursday, Stephenson County Sheriff Steve Stovall said he investigated Schroeder's alleged involvement over a year ago.

Stovall said he found an Army National Guard Member reached out to Schroeder about the Oath Keepers in 2010. Stovall said Schroeder received a link to join the group and did so.

Stovall also said a year later, in 2011, Schroeder changed his email address and no longer had any further contact with the group.

"During his brief membership Andrew Schroeder never attended any meetings and did not knowingly have any contact with any members," Stovall said in a statement.

Stovall later said, "I denounce the Oath Keepers and all they represent, as does Chief Deputy Andrew Schroeder."

Schroeder, who could not be reached Wednesday for comment, is a former county board member and is currently vice chair of the Stephenson County Republican Central Committee, which is chaired by Illinois Sen. Andrew Chesney.

Chesney issued a statement Wednesday to the Journal-Standard:

"I have conferred with Andrew Schroeder, and he is not a member of the Oath Keepers. He disavows them, as do I in the strongest terms. Chief Deputy Schroeder has an impeccable record of service that spans 25 years, and any suggestion that he is a member of an anti-government militia is untrue and unfounded."

The Anti-Defamation League, a nonpartisan organization that fights antisemitism, extremism and all forms of hate, describes the Oath Keepers as a large but loosely organized collection of right-wing anti-government extremists who are part of the militia movement, which believes that the federal government has been coopted by a shadowy conspiracy that is trying to strip American citizens of their rights.

The ADL said what differentiates the Oath Keepers from other anti-government extremist groups is their explicit focus on recruiting current and former military, law enforcement and first responder personnel.

Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers militia, was sentenced in May to 18 years in prison after he was convicted of seditious conspiracy charges for the role he played in helping to mobilize the pro-Trump attack on the Capitol.

All told, more than 1,100 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 350 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.

Calls to Stephenson County Board Chairman Scott Helm and Mayor Jodi Miller were not returned.

Chris Green: 815-397-6412; cgreen@rrstar.com; @chrisfgreen

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Freeport-area official used to be an Oath Keepers member