On August 1, 2022, Reffitt was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for his role in the insurrection. As Texas Public Radio later confirmed, Reffitt was a dues-paying member of This is Texas Freedom Force, although the organization members distanced themselves from Reffitt, saying he did not attend meetings or events. 6 participant and linked him to the Texas-based militia extremist group, This is Texas Freedom Force. Days after the insurrection, the FBI identified Guy Wesley Reffitt as a Jan. insurrection, many of those facing legal charges had ties to various antigovernment militia groups and movements. Although there has been a decline in active Oath Keepers chapters, according to the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, threats from white supremacists and antigovernment extremists have increased in recent years. Over the past three years, the number of active Oath Keepers chapters has declined to 15 chapters in 2021 from approximately 79 active chapters in 2020, to just 5 active groups in 2022. The jury convicted a total of five Oath Keepers, Rhodes, Meggs, Kenneth Harrelson, Jessica Watkins and Thomas Caldwell of obstruction of an official proceeding.Īs Rhodes and some of the Oath Keepers deal with ramifications for storming the Capitol, the overall size of the organization has dwindled. 29, 2022, a federal jury found Rhodes, along with the Florida chapter leader of the Oath Keepers, Kelly Meggs, guilty of seditious conspiracy. Following a law enforcement investigation and eight-day trial, on Nov. Since its founding in 2009, the Oath Keepers have peddled wild conspiracy theories that allege the federal government will confiscate firearms from law abiding citizens, force the American population into concentration camps, attempt to control the population through forced vaccinations and help usher in what Rhodes deemed the next “civil war.” Rhodes and the Oath Keepers have backed their extreme rhetoric with real-world demonstrations, often facing off against law enforcement agencies or antiracist activists.Īfter the attempt to overthrow the government, the United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack took on the responsibility of investigating all parties involved in the assault. Included in this mob of insurrectionists was Stewart Rhodes, leader and founder of the Oath Keepers, along with other members of his organization. It was then that several antigovernment militants stood side by side with radicalized citizens to take part in what was an attempt to stop the certification of electoral votes that would cement Joe Biden’s position as the 46 th president.
Of the major incidents that have stained the concept of unregulated militias, one of the most notable in recent history is the Jan. The American militia movement acts as the paramilitary arm of the antigovernment movement.
This movement is composed of sub-ideologies, with each propping up a different tactic to challenge government officialdom. The Southern Poverty Law Center defines the antigovernment movement as a conspiratorial movement focused on curtailing the powers of both state and federal governments. 6 insurrection, foiled kidnapping plots and the stockpiling of dangerous weapons. This decrease in active paramilitary groups took place at a time when several antigovernment militants face charges for their roles in multiple high-profile incidents including the Jan. This is a decline from the 92 active militia groups identified in 2021. The Southern Poverty Law Center identified 61 active militia groups throughout the United States in 2022.
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