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<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="9860607" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="oath-keepers">Oath Keepers</keyword> extensively planned their presence at the January 6 insurrection, <keyword id="9827758" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="court-documents">court documents</keyword> show.</li><li>At least 30 members of the extremist group were present at the <keyword id="10554785" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="capitol-siege">Capitol siege</keyword>, prosecutors say. </li><li>Messages from militia members show how they looked at Trump's direction for how to act that day.</li></ul>As <keyword id="10753904" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jessica-watkins">Jessica Watkins</keyword> broke past law enforcement officers on January 6, marching into the Capitol building, she could hardly contain her delight.Everything was going according to plan."We are in the mezzanine. We are in the main dome right now. We are rocking it," she told her fellow Oath Keepers, according to court filings. "They are throwing grenades, they are fricking shooting people with paintballs. But we are in here."Clad in camouflage, combat helmets, bulletproof vests, and gloves with reinforced knuckles, Watkins declared victory once they penetrated the rotunda."We took on the Capitol! We overran the Capitol!" <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/parler-capitol-videos/">Watkins exclaimed</a>. "We're in the f---ing Capitol!"It was a culmination of two months of planning from the Oath Keepers, <a href="https://www.adl.org/Backgrounders/OathKeepers">an extremist militia that seeks to overthrow the US government</a>, federal prosecutors say in court filings for cases against Watkins and other members of the group.But Watkins - an Ohio bartender - said she only came to Washington, DC, because President Donald Trump told her to.He hosted and spoke at the "Stop the Steal" rally a short walk away from the Capitol building, perpetuating the lie that he really won the 2020 presidential election and that Vice President Mike Pence and the members of Congress certifying the vote for Joe Biden were complicit in stealing it."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," Watkins said in November, <a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.226726/gov.uscourts.dcd.226726.15.0_2.pdf">according to text messages prosecutors obtained</a>. "Otherwise, I can't trust it."Court filings from prosecutors against three members of the Oath Keepers in the past month - Watkins, <keyword id="172999" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Thomas-Caldwell">Thomas Caldwell</keyword>, and <keyword id="10753905" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="donovan-crowl">Donovan Crowl</keyword> - demonstrate the extent of how the right-wing militia planned their attack on the Capitol on January 6, and how they looked at Trump for cues of what to do that day. The issue is at the heart of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/trump-impeachment">the impeachment proceedings against Trump</a> taking place in Congress.The Oath Keepers coordinated with "30-40" people that day, Watkins wrote in messages prosecutors obtained, with <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/01/29/us/oath-keepers-capitol-riot.html">10 of them reportedly being official members of the group</a>. And they were not the only organized right-wing group that participated in the attack on January 6.As prosecutors and independent reporting has indicated, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/proud-boys-members-stopped-capitol-police-from-sealing-capitol-tunnels-2021-2">the Proud Boys</a> and members of <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-three-percenters-militia-group-protecting-gop-lawmakers-in-oregon-2019-6">the Three Percenters, another militia</a>, <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/insurrection-at-the-capitol/2021/01/19/958240531/members-of-right-wing-militias-extremist-groups-are-latest-charged-in-capitol-si">had also planned out their activities</a>. Many of the other people who stormed the Capitol that day <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jenna-ryan-capitol-insurrection-charges-says-she-bought-into-lie-2021-2">did not appear to come to Washington with clear plans</a> - other than believing Trump's lies that the 2020 election was stolen and that they needed to act."It is our duty as Americans to fight, kill and die for our rights," Watkins texted a contact on November 17."We need to go underground if this coup works," she texted a few days later.<h2>Oath Keepers had plans for January 6, and held trainings to get ready</h2>The Oath Keepers, prosecutors say, had extensive plans to storm Congress on January 6. The militia recruits extensively from former law enforcement officers and members of the military.And their activities on the day of the insurrection were driven by their belief that the election was stolen and that it was up to them to uphold their oaths to the Constitution. In text messages rife with spelling errors, Watkins told acquaintances that the United States "would be over" if Biden took office."If Biden get the steal, none of us have a chance in my mind. We already have our neck in the noose. They just haven't kicked in the chair yet," Watkins told an acquaintance in November, according to texts prosecutors obtained.<div type="image" title="oath keepers january 6 capitol siege insurrection" height="1666" width="2223" msid="80889801" hostid="261"></div>Caldwell has some of the same ideas in mind, telling a fellow Oath Keeper he believed he would be upholding the Constitution, <a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.226726/gov.uscourts.dcd.226726.1.1.pdf">according to charging documents</a>."They have morphed into pure evil even blatantly rigging an election and paying off the political caste," he wrote. "We must smite them now and drive them down."Ahead of the insurrection, Watkins personally trained recruits to get them into fighting shape, prosecutors say."Basic Training is mandatory ... I need you fighting fit by innaugeration," she told one recruit.The training plans were scheduled well in advance: "The election is imminent. We do have Basic Training/FRX coming up in January though … others who join before then without experience will be REQUIRED to attend for the full week," she told another recruit in late October.<div type="image" title="oath keepers" height="1414" width="1885" msid="80889802" hostid="261"></div>Prosecutors say that the Oath Keepers also planned to bring weapons. Caldwell and Watkins talked about having a "quick reaction force" nearby who could supply guns to participants in the riot if needed, according to messages prosecutors obtained.That day, members of the group also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/watch-roger-stone-flanked-by-oath-keepers-morning-capitol-riot-2021-2">reportedly acted as personal security for Roger Stone</a>, a former Trump aide, near the Capitol building.The Oath Keepers communicated that day on Zello, a walkie-talkie app. Once they entered the building - "forcing their way to the front of the crowd" and trying to smash through doors with law enforcement on the other side, according to prosecutors - a Zello participant gave them a script."You are executing citizen's arrest. Arrest this assembly, we have probable cause for acts of treason, election fraud," an unknown male instructed on the channel, <a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.226726/gov.uscourts.dcd.226726.15.0_2.pdf">according to a filing</a>.<div type="image" title="jessica watkins oath keepers" height="719" width="959" msid="80889803" hostid="261"></div>Watkins seemed to happily confirm her breach of the Capitol on Parler, taking a selfie with Crowl in the building's rotunda."Me before forcing entry into the Capitol Building," she posted on Parler. "#stopthesteal #stormthecapitol #oathkeepers #ohiomilitia.""Yeah. We stormed the Capitol today. Teargassed, the whole, 9," she said in another Parler post. "Pushed our way into the Rotunda. Made it into the Senate even."<div type="image" title="Jessica Watkins social media posts" height="2250" width="3000" msid="80889804" hostid="261"></div><h2>'If Trump asks me to come, I will'</h2>While Oath Keepers laid their plans to stop Biden from becoming president, they looked at Trump for direction and backing, prosecutors said in court filings."If Trump asks me to come, I will," Watkins wrote in a text message in November. She told Crowl that Trump's "Stop the Steal" rally was what they needed."We plan on going to DC on the 6th [because] Trump wants all able bodied Patriots to come," she said in a message prosecutors obtained, adding: "If Trump activates the Insurrection Act, I'd hate to miss it."That "permission from Trump," as prosecutors said Watkins described it, extended beyond just the insurrection.Watkins said her colleagues stationed nearby with guns would be activated at Trump's command, referring to "guys outside DC with guns, [awaiting] orders to enter DC under permission from Trump, not a minute sooner," according to messages prosecutors obtained."We fight like hell and if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore," Trump said at the rally ahead of the attack, adding, "We want to get this right because we're going to have somebody in there that should not be in there and our country will be destroyed and we're not going to stand for that."<div type="image" title="jessica watkins oath keepers militia jail headshot" height="600" width="480" msid="80889805" hostid="261"></div>Watkins and Crowl were arrested on January 18. Caldwell was arrested on January 19.Biden was inaugurated on January 20.The three militia members <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/three-individuals-affiliated-oath-keepers-indicted-federal-court-conspiracy-obstruct">were indicted a week later</a> on charges related to their activity in the insurrection. They haven't entered a plea yet, and are currently battling in court over whether they should be permitted to be released from jail ahead of their trials."It is difficult to fathom a more serious danger to the community - to the District of Columbia, to the country, or to the fabric of American Democracy," prosecutors wrote in a memo asking that Watkins remain detained, "than the one posed by armed insurrectionists, including Watkins, who joined in the occupation of the United States Capitol."Expanded Coverage Module: capitol-siege-module

Oath Keeper militants planned out their attack at the Capitol, even holding trainings in the weeks before, and looked to Trump for direction

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Two Oath Keepers being tried in connection with the Capitol riots were excited about providing security for <keyword id="2492639" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Roger-Stone">Roger Stone</keyword>.</li><li>New court filings showed that Jessica Watkins said that it "sounds like a sweet gig."</li><li>Watkins and Donovan Crowl are two of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/6-oath-keepers-charged-with-criminal-conspiracy-in-capitol-riots-2021-2">nine Oath Keepers</a> federally charged in relation to the insurrection.</li></ul>Jessica Watkins and Donovan Ray Crowl, two alleged Oath Keepers and Ohio Regular Militia members, looked forward to the opportunity to serve as private security detail for Roger Stone, a close ally to then-President Donald Trump, at the Stop the Steal rally, new court documents reveal.The Stop the Steal rally, headlined by Trump, preceded the January 6 <keyword id="10554785" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="capitol-siege">Capitol siege</keyword>.According to text messages shared in new court filings, the two texted each other in early January, discussing their assignment with the far-right militia."Looks like we might be security for Roger Stone, if we end up rolling with the Oath keepers," Jessica Watkins texted Crowl on January 1. Later, according to the documents, Crowl texted his romantic partner saying it "should be fun."After Crowl and Watkins texted more, Watkins said, "I'm down to be security for Roger Stone. Seems like a sweet gig." Crowl agreed, according to documents.Stone - a right-wing political strategist who was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-pardons-convicted-felon-roger-stone-2020-12">pardoned by Trump</a> in December 2020 after being found guilty of obstructing an FBI investigation and lying to Congress - was pictured surrounded by alleged Oath Keepers at the rally.The text messages were released in a late bond motion filed by Crowl's lawyer, who missed a deadline to file the motion on Wednesday. Crowl's lawyer made the case that he should be released on bond by saying he was a carpenter, Marine Corps vet, single dad, and little league coach, who also has melanoma.Other texts showed Crowl complaining about Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and saying he didn't want to deal with him. Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pence-2024-trump-cpac-traitor-conservatives-2021-3">Trump backers called Pence a 'traitor' during CPAC, mocked the ex-VP for skipping the confab, and gave him just 1% in a poll of potential 2024 GOP presidential contenders</a>Crowl's lawyer cited the complaints about "Stewie," arguing that Crowl was simply headed to DC to act as private security for Roger Stone.However, prosecutors argue that texts revealed in previous filings appear to show a level of coordination between the alleged Oath Keepers.In other messages prosecutors obtained from Watkins, she said that the Oath Keepers coordinated with "30-40" people that day during the insurrection, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/01/29/us/oath-keepers-capitol-riot.html">10 of them alleged official members of the group</a>.Watkins and Crowl are part of a group of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/6-oath-keepers-charged-with-criminal-conspiracy-in-capitol-riots-2021-2">nine alleged Oath Keepers</a> who have been federally charged in connection to January 6. According to prosecutors, during the insurrection, Watkins <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/parler-capitol-videos/">posted on Parler</a> saying, 'We took on the Capitol! We overran the Capitol! We're in the f---ing Capitol!"In February, a federal judge <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/oath-keeper-jessica-watkins-will-stay-in-jail-before-her-trial">ruled</a> that Watkins, who publicly denounced and disbanded from the Oath Keepers, must remain in jail until her trial.Crowl and Watkins are both being held in Washington, DC, and are due next in court on April 6.They are both facing charges of conspiracy, conspiracy to injure an officer, and destruction of government property. Stone, pictured only at the rally, has not been charged with anything in relation to the events of January 6.

Oath Keeper members texted in early January about providing security detail for Roger Stone at the Stop the Steal rally

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Three <keyword id="11907536" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="capitol-riot" source="Orion">Capitol riot</keyword> defendants were allowed to spend <keyword id="11909499" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="thanksgiving" source="Orion">Thanksgiving</keyword> out of home detention, per reports.</li><li>The men, who are from different states, were all granted permission to travel over the holiday.</li></ul>Three Capitol riot defendants on home detention were granted permission to travel for the <a href="https://www.insider.com/history-of-thanksgiving-2017-11">Thanksgiving holiday,</a> according to multiple reports. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nine-capitol-rioters-have-history-of-violence-against-women-report-2021-2">Donovan Crowl</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/capitol-riot-student-hit-cop-over-the-head-with-his-skateboard-2021-4">Grady Owens</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/5-floridians-accused-attacking-7-police-officers-during-capitol-riot-2021-6">Joseph Hutchinson</a> all made formal court requests to travel over the holiday without violating their pretrial release conditions, <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/january-6-capitol-suspects-travel-thanksgiving-1652832">Newsweek reported.</a>The three men face some of the more serious charges relating to the January 6 attack.Crowl, a member of the Oath Keepers, the right-wing paramilitary group, is accused of conspiracy to storm the Capitol, <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/oath-keeper-donovan-crowl-charged-in-capitol-riots-was-preparing-for-literal-war-feds">The Daily Beast reported.</a> He was released from jail and placed under pretrial house arrest in Ohio in August, <a href="https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/gdpr.html#:~:text=6%20Washington%2C%20D.C.%2C%20Capitol%20riot,Mehta%20said%20during%20the%20hearing">the Springfield News-Sun reported.</a>On November 18, Amit Mehta, a US district court judge in Washington, DC, granted him permission to spend the holiday at his sister's home in another part of Ohio between November 24 and November 26, NBC4's <a href="https://twitter.com/MacFarlaneNews/status/1461390495968497664" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Scott MacFarlane tweeted</a>.Owens, a college student from Florida, was charged with striking a Washington, DC, Metropolitan Police officer over the head with a skateboard, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/florida-man-indicted-assaulting-metropolitan-police-department-officer-skateboard-during">according to a Department of Justice statement</a>.The 21-year-old, who lives in Western Texas, was detained at home and issued a location monitoring device, Newsweek reported.On November 18, a state judge granted him permission to travel to Harris County in South Texas for two days to spend Thanksgiving with his family, <a href="https://twitter.com/ryanjreilly/status/1461356794266017836">the HuffPost reporter Ryan J. Reilly tweeted</a>, citing court documents.The third defendant, Hutchinson, got his Thanksgiving travel request granted by a judge on November 23, <a href="https://twitter.com/MacFarlaneNews/status/1463189578681094144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1463189578681094144%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsweek.com%2Fjanuary-6-capitol-suspects-travel-thanksgiving-1652832">NBC4's MacFarlane tweeted.</a>Though he is also currently on home detention at his house in Georgia, Hutchinson asked to travel to Lakeland, Florida, where he is originally from. He was among a group of five Floridians accused of attacking law enforcement officers with riot shields and flagpoles,<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/case-multi-defendant/file/1410341/download"> prosecutors said.</a><a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/case-multi-defendant/file/1410341/download"></a>MacFarlane, who has been covering the Capitol riot trials extensively, <a href="https://twitter.com/MacFarlaneNews/status/1463298235682988035">previously said</a> that it was not unusual for courts to allow predetermined requests for short travel ahead of trial, citing a conversation with a former federal prosecutor.

Multiple Capitol riot defendants got permission to leave house arrest to celebrate Thanksgiving

<ul class="summary-list"><li>At least five accused Capitol rioters who are under <keyword id="12788022" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="home-confinement" source="Orion">home confinement</keyword> can travel for <keyword id="12030580" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="christmas" source="Orion">Christmas</keyword>.</li><li>The leniency comes nearly one year after a mob of Trump supporters laid siege to the Capitol.</li></ul>Christmas came early for at least five <keyword id="11907536" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="capitol-riot" source="Orion">Capitol riot</keyword> defendants currently under home confinement.Several US judges overseeing the slate of pending <keyword id="11910059" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="capitol-attack" source="Orion">Capitol attack</keyword> cases granted multiple accused rioters the opportunity to leave their homes and spend time with their loved ones for the holidays, according to a <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-12-21/capitol-rioters-win-permission-to-spend-christmas-with-family?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;cmpid%3D=socialflow-twitter-politics&amp;utm_content=politics&amp;utm_campaign=socialflow-organic">Bloomberg report.</a>The temporary leniency comes nearly one year after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol in an attempt to stop the certification of the 2020 presidential election, which saw President Joe Biden beat former president Donald Trump by more than 7 million votes. Of the five men granted a festive reprieve from home detention, two are charged with attacking police officers during the insurrection and two have alleged ties to an extremist militia group.<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/defendants/caldwell-thomas-edward">Thomas Caldwell</a>, a Virginia man accused by prosecutors of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/oath-keeper-arrested-charged-capitol-siege-once-worked-for-fbi-2021-2">holding a leadership role in the Oath Keepers, an anti-government group,</a> was arrested in February and released to home confinement in March. <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/page/file/1356326/download">Prosecutors have charged</a> Caldwell in connection with one of the largest conspiracy cases stemming from the Capitol riot and he has been restricted to electronic monitoring in his Virginia home for the past seven months. On Monday, Us District Judge Amit P. Mehta granted Caldwell's request to leave his home on Christmas day to attend a holiday party at his neighbor's house with his wife, according to court documents. <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/defendants/crowl-donovan-ray">Donovan Crowl,</a> who prosecutors say stormed the Capitol with other <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/6-oath-keepers-charged-with-criminal-conspiracy-in-capitol-riots-2021-2">members of the Oath Keepers</a>, has been under house arrest since he was released from jail in March, following his January arrest. The former Marine was already <a href="https://www.insider.com/capitol-riot-defendants-allowed-leave-house-arrest-thanksgiving-2021-11">granted a holiday reprieve from his confinement</a> over Thanksgiving, and Judge Mehta also approved Crowl's most recent December request, according to Bloomberg.<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/defendants/grider-christopher-ray">Christopher Grider</a> has been under GPS-ankle monitoring since he was released from jail after his January arrest. The Texas wine-maker is accused of helping to break a window outside the House chamber. In a conditions request made last week, Grider asked for permission to leave his Texas home to visit family in both Houston and Dallas for the holidays, as well as an extension of his 11:59 p.m. curfew for work purposes. US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly granted all the requests, court documents show. <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/defendants/klein-federico">Federico Klein,</a> a former Trump State Department-appointee who is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/former-trump-appointee-charged-with-assaulting-cops-on-january-6-2021-8">accused of assaulting police with a riot shield during the siege</a>, was released to home confinement in April. Prosecutors asked Judge Trevor McFadden to alter the conditions of Klein's release to home incarceration in June, accusing the defendant of missing curfew, but the judge declined. McFadden on Tuesday granted Klein's request to travel to visit his brother for the holidays, according to Bloomberg.<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/defendants/tanios-george">George Pierre Tanios,</a> of West Virginia, was <a href="https://www.insider.com/capitol-officer-brian-sicknick-death-charges-2021-3">charged in March with conspiring to injure Brian Sicknick</a>, the Capitol Police officer who died the day after the insurrection. Last month, a federal judge eased Tanios' pre-trial release provisions, ending his home confinement and placing him on a curfew instead, according to court documents. The defendant filed an unopposed motion earlier this month to travel to New Jersey for Christmas. <a href="https://www.insider.com/all-the-us-capitol-pro-trump-riot-arrests-charges-names-2021-1">Nearly 730 people have been charged</a> in connection to the Capitol riot so far, and more than <a href="https://www.insider.com/capitol-rioters-who-pleaded-guilty-updated-list-2021-5">150 people have pleaded guilty.</a>Correction 12/22/2021: This story was corrected to reflect that Adam Johnson was not under house confinement.

Several Capitol riot defendants under home confinement have been granted permission to travel for the holidays

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Three members of a radical anti-government group have been charged for their roles in the Capitol <keyword id="1621083" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="insurrection">insurrection</keyword>.</li><li>The three are associated with the <keyword id="9860607" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="oath-keepers">Oath Keepers</keyword>, a group that claims tens of thousands of members.</li><li>They face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for obstructing an official proceeding, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/three-individuals-affiliated-oath-keepers-indicted-federal-court-conspiracy-obstruct">according to the DOJ.</a></li></ul>Three people associated with the Oath Keepers, a far-right, anti-government militia group made up of current and former military officers and law-enforcement officials, were indicted in a Washington, DC, federal court Wednesday.The three were charged with conspiracy, obstructing an official proceeding, destruction of government property, and unlawful entry on restricted buildings or grounds for their role in the deadly <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/republicans-objecting-to-electoral-votes-in-congress-live-updates-2021-1">January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol</a>, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/three-individuals-affiliated-oath-keepers-indicted-federal-court-conspiracy-obstruct">according to the Department of Justice.</a> Members of the Oath Keepers, which has membership numbers in the tens of thousands, claims to fulfill the oath that all military and police officers take to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, <a href="https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/oath-keepers">according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.</a>Jessica Watkins, 38, and Donovan Crowl, 50, both from Champaign City, Ohio were arrested January 18 on a criminal complaint. Thomas Caldwell, 65, from Clarke County Virginia, was arrested the following day.They face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for Obstructing an Official Proceeding, according to the DOJ.Charging documents accuse the three of speaking with each other prior to January 6 to coordinate their roles in the attack. They reportedly began communicating in November 2020 and continued until Caldwell was arrested on January 19. Watkins and Crowl both gave media interviews after the insurrection and confirmed they were members of the Oath Keepers. The two are also members of the Ohio State Regular Militia. In a social media post, Watkins reportedly said she was a commanding officer in the Ohio State Militia. Caldwell is also associated with the Oath Keepers. In the lead-up to the riots, the three discussed lodging logistics and coordinated calls to discuss the plan and join forces with other chapters of Oath Keepers, according to the DOJ."THIS IS OUR CALL TO ACTION, FREINDS! SEE YOU ON THE 6TH IN WASHINGTON, D.C. ALONG WITH 2 MILLION OTHER LIKE-MINDED PATRIOTS," Caldwell reportedly posted on December 31. He followed it up with another post on January 2, where he wrote, "It begins for real Jan 5 and 6 on Washington D.C. when we mobilize in the streets. Let them try to certify some crud on capitol hill with a million or more patriots in the streets. This kettle is set to boil…"The criminal complaint filed on January 19 said the three documented their participation in the insurrection on social media, detailing where inside the Capitol. Watkins reportedly posted pictures of herself and Crowl on her Parler account, with a caption reading, "Me before forcing entry into the Capitol Building. #stopthesteal2 #stormthecapitol #oathkeepers #ohiomilitia." She then posted a video of herself with the caption, "Yeah. We stormed the Capitol today. Teargassed, the whole, 9. Pushed our way into the Rotunda. Made it into the Senate even. The <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="news">news</keyword> is lying (even Fox) about the Historical Events we created today," the DOJ reported.The FBI also obtained audio from a walkie-talkie app between Watkins and other suspected Oath Keepers during the riots.The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and the National Security Division, Counterterrorism Section, <keyword id="67869" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Department-of-Justice">Department of Justice</keyword> are prosecuting the case.

3 members of a radical, anti-government group have been charged over their role in the Capitol insurrection

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Thomas Edward Caldwell, leader of a far-right militia group, is being investigated by the <keyword id="6355946" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="fbi">FBI</keyword>.</li><li>He's accused of coordinating to locate lawmakers during the <keyword id="10554785" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="capitol-siege">Capitol siege</keyword>, <a href="https://extremism.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs2191/f/Thomas%20Caldwell%20Donovan%20Crowl%20Jessica%20Watkins%20Affidavit%20in%20Support%20of%20Amended%20Criminal%20Complaint.pdf">an affidavit said</a>.</li><li>Several Facebook messages gave specific directions as to the whereabouts of members of <keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword>.</li></ul>Thomas Edward Caldwell, the leader of the far-right militia group known as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pictures-oath-keepers-american-militias-2016-11">Oath Keepers</a>, has been accused by the FBI of coordinating an effort to track down lawmakers during the <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=us+capitol+siege+business+insider&amp;rlz=1C5CHFA_enGB930GB930&amp;oq=us+capitol+siege+business+insider&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57j69i59l2j69i60j69i65j69i60l3.2753j0j7&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">siege of the US Capitol building</a>.Caldwell, 66, was cited with leading the effort to locate members of Congress, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/self-described-militia-members-jailed-on-riot-charges/2021/01/19/a6ca2f9e-5a6a-11eb-a849-6f9423a75ffd_story.html">The Washington Post</a> reported.Two others, Donovan Ray Crowl and Jessica Marie Watkins, were also accused of having conspired with the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/1-in-5-charged-in-capitol-riot-veterans-active-duty-2021-1">Navy veteran</a>, The Post said.Caldwell is said to have received Facebook messages updating him of the specific whereabouts of lawmakers while <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/capitol-siege-how-rioters-ransacked-building-little-capitol-police-resistance-2021-1">congressional offices were being ransacked</a>, according to an affidavit included in <a href="https://extremism.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs2191/f/Thomas%20Caldwell%20Donovan%20Crowl%20Jessica%20Watkins%20Affidavit%20in%20Support%20of%20Amended%20Criminal%20Complaint.pdf">court filings obtained by the George Washington University Program on Extremism</a>.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-inauguration-first-person-reporter-account-inside-capitol-inauguration-security-2021-1">I went inside the US Capitol's immense security bubble to cover the most surreal presidential inauguration of my lifetime. Here's what I saw.</a>One message, the FBI said, read: "All members are in the tunnels under capitol. Seal them in, turn on the gas."While raiding the Capitol, Caldwell shared a post on Facebook. He wrote, "Inside." After, the intelligence agency said, he received a flurry of messages from unspecified senders."Tom take that b----- over," one message read."Tom, all legislators are down in the Tunnels 3 floors down," another said.Some of the messages gave specific directions about the locations of lawmakers."Go through back house chamber doors facing N left down hallway down steps," court documents reveal of one message."Do like we had to do when I was in the core, start tearing out floors, go from top to bottom," another is reported to have said.The day after the insurrection, Caldwell sent a text to Crowl. It read: "Do you like the pictures of us storming the castle?"Caldwell was arrested earlier this week on several charges, including conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States and conspiracy to impede or injure an officer.It was the first conspiracy charge filed against any of the rioters, according to the <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/thomas-edward-caldwell-oath-keeper-leader-charged-with-conspiracy-in-capitol-riots">Daily Beast</a>.The investigation into the insurrection is underway, but <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/aoc-some-lawmakers-dont-yet-feel-safe-with-other-congress-members-2021-1">Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez</a> said that many lawmakers "still don't feel safe."

Members of the far-right militia group Oath Keepers used Facebook Messenger during the Capitol siege to hunt for lawmakers, FBI says

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The DOJ charged six people in the <keyword id="9860607" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="oath-keepers">Oath Keepers</keyword> movement in connection with the Capitol riot.</li><li>Nine people associated with the Oath Keepers are charged with conspiracy to obstruct Congress.</li><li>The Oath Keepers are a far-right extremist group.</li></ul><a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/case-multi-defendant/file/1369071/download">In an indictment released on Friday</a>, the <keyword id="67869" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Department-of-Justice">Department of Justice</keyword> <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/six-individuals-affiliated-oath-keepers-indicted-federal-grand-jury-conspiracy-obstruct">charged six additional</a> defendants associated with the far-right Oath Keepers movement with conspiracy to obstruct Congress.The six new defendants have been added as codefendants to an existing case against three defendants, Jessica Watkins, Donovan Crowl, and Thomas Caldwell, alleging that Oath Keepers conspired to commit violence at the Capitol. <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/six-individuals-affiliated-oath-keepers-indicted-federal-grand-jury-conspiracy-obstruct">The new defendants</a> are Graydon Young, Kelly Meggs, Connie Meggs, Laura Steele, Sandra Ruth Parker, and Bennie Alvin Parker.Prosecutors said in the indictment that the defendants planned to besiege the Capitol as early as November 3 and coordinated plans on social media for weeks beforehand to travel to Washington, DC, with weapons and tactical gear in tow. "Trump said It's gonna be wild!!!!!!! It's gonna be wild!!!!!!! He wants us to make it WILD that's what he's saying. He called us all to the Capitol and wants us to make it wild!!! Sir Yes Sir!!! Gentlemen we are heading to DC pack your s---!!" Meggs wrote in a December 22 Facebook message, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/case-multi-defendant/file/1369071/download">prosecutors said</a>. President Donald Trump tweeted on December 19: "Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!" So far, the DOJ <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/capitol-breach-cases">has filed conspiracy charges</a> against 18 defendants in total in connection with the riot, including the nine people associated with the Oath Keepers.Since the <keyword id="10554785" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="capitol-siege">Capitol siege</keyword>, <a href="https://www.insider.com/all-the-us-capitol-pro-trump-riot-arrests-charges-names-2021-1">authorities have charged over 250 defendants</a> with offenses including entering and remaining in a restricted building illegally, violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, and, in some cases, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-stolen-speakers-lectern-returned-to-capitol-2021-1">theft of US government property</a>.After the initial wave of prosecutions and arrests, investigators started refocusing their wide-ranging inquiries on whether the violence was coordinated, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/fbi-capitol-riot-investigation-shifts-gears-11611687676">The Wall Street Journal reported</a>. Those ongoing probes could lead to more-complex conspiracy and sedition charges, the report said.In <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/context/u-s-v-ethan-nordean-aka-rufio-panman-charging-affidavit/f38139a0-680e-471d-a87e-d992bf574dc3/?itid=lk_inline_manual_1">charging documents filed in the case of the Proud Boys leader Ethan Nordean</a> earlier this month, prosecutors suggested that the far-right extremist group <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/proud-boys-planned-capitol-siege-as-revenge-against-police-fbi-2021-2">may have planned violence on police officers at the Capitol</a> to get revenge on Washington-area law enforcement after one of their members was stabbed at a December demonstration that turned violent.Earlier this month, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-capitol-rico-exclusive/exclusive-u-s-mulls-using-law-designed-to-prosecute-mafia-against-capitol-rioters-idUSKBN2A32W2">Reuters reported</a> that prosecutors at the Department of Justice were <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/federal-prosecutors-capitol-rioters-rico-law-organized-crime-2021-2">also considering whether to pursue charges</a> under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a law enacted in the 1970s to prosecute Mafia members and organized-crime rings and connect organized-crime leaders to those offenses.

DOJ charges 6 more defendants in the Oath Keepers movement with conspiracy in the Capitol insurrection

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Almost 20% of rioters charged in the <keyword id="10554785" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="capitol-siege">Capitol siege</keyword> were active duty military members, or veterans.</li><li>The report published by NPR follows a broader conversation about <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/capitol-riot-pushes-pentagon-root-out-far-right-extremism-military-2021-1">extremism within the US military</a>.</li><li>Insider <a href="https://www.insider.com/all-the-us-capitol-pro-trump-riot-arrests-charges-names-2021-1">created a searchable database</a> of those individuals charged for their participation in the riot.</li></ul>As members of the violent mob who stormed the US Capitol have slowly been identified and charged, a new report offers insights into the background and training of dozens of those rioters.<a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/01/21/958915267/nearly-one-in-five-defendants-in-capitol-riot-cases-served-in-the-military?utm_term=nprnews&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=npr&amp;utm_source=twitter.com=twitter.com">According to NPR,</a> nearly 20% of the individuals facing federal charges or District of Columbia charges for participating in the January 6 insurrection are military veterans. The outlet identified that out of the more than 160 individuals facing charges, at least 27 have served or are serving in the US military.Insider <a href="https://www.insider.com/all-the-us-capitol-pro-trump-riot-arrests-charges-names-2021-1">created a searchable database</a> of those individuals charged for their participation in the Capitol siege, which also describes the charges against each individual. NPR reported that the majority of veterans were charged with violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol ground.According to the <a href="https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2020/veterans-report.html">US Census Bureau</a>, only 7% of American adults are military veterans. The report comes after some rioters were photographed in military gear, and others openly planned and carried out the incursion using military jargon.Larry Brock Jr., one of the rioters infamously photographed roaming the Senate chamber in a helmet, body armor and holding flex cuffs, posted on Facebook that he was getting ready for a "second civil war," and believed that the US was "under occupation by a hostile governing force," after Biden's win, <a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xnc7ZyCx_vzxU-DfgGhbFiUtgBaSZmyQ?usp=sharing">according to court documents. </a>Brock also referenced an oath taken by members of the US military ahead of storming the Capitol, writing, "Against all enemies foreign and domestic."<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/virginia-national-guard-corporal-arrested-charged-connection-capitol-riot-n1254410">A pair of off-duty Virginia police officers</a> who stormed the Capitol were also military veterans, according to the report. Jacob Fracker, a member of the Marine Corps who was deployed to Afghanistan twice is also an active member of the Virginia National Guard. His colleague, Thomas Robertson, is an army veteran. <a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/18kxjwyX5QONmHAz6KdaiBqt83FeUeW53">According to court documents,</a> Fracker posted on Facebook after the insurrection, saying he was "proud" of storming the Capitol and felt he "did nothing illegal."The revelations fit in with a broader conversation about <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/capitol-riot-pushes-pentagon-root-out-far-right-extremism-military-2021-1">extremism within the ranks of the US military</a>, namely after the National Guard expelled two soldiers ahead of the inauguration due to their connections to extremist, white nationalist groups.Federal prosecutors have also levied charges against members of the far-right extremist groups Oath Keepers as well as Proud Boys. <a href="https://www.adl.org/sites/default/files/documents/assets/pdf/combating-hate/The-Oath-Keepers-ADL-Report.pdf">Oath Keepers in particular recruits</a> active duty military members as well as veterans due to their weapons training. NPR's report identified that navy veteran Thomas Edward Caldwell and Marine corps veteran Donovan Ray Crowl were charged by federal prosecutors for conspiracy to obstruct the electoral vote, and both are alleged Oath Keepers.<a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2020/02/06/signs-of-white-supremacy-extremism-up-again-in-poll-of-active-duty-troops/">According to a 2019 survey</a> conducted by the Military Times, close to one-third of active duty troops said they had "personally witnessed examples of white nationalism or ideological-driven racism within the ranks in recent months."After the January 6 riots, a US Defense Department official told NPR that there were 68 new investigations the FBI is inquiring into related to former and current military members having ties to domestic extremist groups.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/read-full-text-president-biden-inaugural-address-2021-1">During President Biden's inaugural address,</a> he referenced,"a rise in political extremism, white supremacy, domestic terrorism that we must confront and we will defeat."Expanded Coverage Module: capitol-siege-module

Nearly 1 in 5 of the rioters charged in Capitol insurrection are military veterans, study shows

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Nine Capitol rioters have a history of <keyword id="82388" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Violence-against-women">violence against women</keyword>, according to HuffPost.</li><li>Some men previously had restraining orders against them due to allegations of <keyword id="6360589" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="domestic-violence">domestic violence</keyword>.</li><li>At least three are military veterans, and some of the men were once charged with rape and battery. </li></ul>At least nine men who participated in the <keyword id="10562031" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Capitol-Riot">Capitol riot</keyword> on January 6 have a history of exhibiting violence against <keyword id="624" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Women">women</keyword>, an investigation by <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/nine-far-right-insurrectionists-have-a-history-of-violence-against-women_n_60198d1ec5b6bde2f5c35bd6">the Huffington Post uncovered</a>.The Capitol riot on January 6 left at least five people, including one <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-capitol-police-officer-dies-after-attempted-insurrection-2021-1">police officer</a>, dead. Members of <a href="https://twitter.com/misstessowen/status/1346884690708467714">the Proud Boys, which is classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, were reportedly present</a>.Organizers were <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-trump-in-final-weeks-incited-his-followers-to-storm-the-capitol-2021-1">emboldened by President Donald Trump's urges</a> to protest the results of the 2020 election with him, despite Democrat Joe Biden's election victory. While members of Congress were meeting inside the <keyword id="1358071" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Capitol-building">Capitol building</keyword> day to certify the results, supporters organized an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-provoked-attempted-coup-capitol-sat-back-and-tweeted-2021-1">attempted coup</a> and stormed the Capitol building.Upon <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">news</keyword> that the riot breached the Capitol building, lawmakers began to shelter in place and many evacuated.Nine men who were part of the storm were charged with acts of violence against women, HuffPost reported. Some had restraining orders taken out against them because of allegations of domestic violence.Three of the nine men are veterans, HuffPost's Alanna Vagianos reported. Men with militaristic pasts can create "dire consequences for women," Vagianos reported, citing Dr. Miranda Christou, a senior fellow at the Centre for Analysis of the Radical Right."You have forms of masculinity that depend on militarized expressions: the uniforms, the guns, the paraphernalia, the whole idea of the military structure and discipline," Christou told HuffPost. "When the institution of the military infiltrates social life and that sense of masculinity and what makes you a man depends on that ― depends on the gun on the side of your hip ― that becomes a problem for women."One man, Larry Rendall Brock Jr., stormed the building <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rioter-pictured-zip-tie-handcuffs-senate-is-air-force-veteran-2021-1">carrying zip-tie handcuffs and wearing full combat gear</a>. Brock had sent several threatening messages to his ex-wife, HuffPost reported. He was described as a "terroristic threat of family/household" during one call to the police.<div type="image" title="larry rendall brock rioter capitol surge" height="1706" width="2560" msid="80899415" hostid="261"></div> Another man, Guy Reffitt, was spotted and photographed carrying tactical gear during the attempted coup. Reffitt in 2018 pushed his wife onto a bed and began to choke her, according to a police report obtained by HuffPost.<div type="image" title="Guy Reffitt seen at the Capitol siege." height="986" width="922" msid="80899416" hostid="261"></div>Mathew Capsel of Marseille, Illinois, violated a protection order after his arrest in Washington. In 2012, he had been arrested for "battery, mob action and robbery," HuffPost reported, having allegedly struck a woman "3-4 times in the head."Other men who attended the riot have records marked by similar charges.Jacob Lewis, for example, had a restraining order for domestic violence taken out against him in California, according to HuffPost. Samuel Pinho Camargo had in 2016 "intentionally caused bodily harm" to his sister.Dominic Pezzola is a member of the Proud Boys, HuffPost reported. Police removed a shotgun from his home in 2005 after a call concerning a domestic dispute. Andrew Ryan Bennett also wore a Proud Boys hat entering the Capitol building, according to HuffPost. He received an 18-month prison sentence after attacking a woman at a tattoo parlor in 2003. Edward Hemenway served five years in prison on charges related to rape, sexual battery, and criminal confinement, according to HuffPost. He handcuffed his wife in 2004 and put duct-tape over her mouth.And Donovan Ray Crowl had been arrested in 2005 for domestic violence charges that have since been dropped, HuffPost reported.

Nine Capitol rioters were charged with sexual assault or had restraining orders for domestic violence: report

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Prosecutors said the <keyword id="9860607" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="oath-keepers">Oath Keepers</keyword> militia kept members near the Capitol on January 6 to supply guns.</li><li>A lawyer for an accused rioter said the so-called quick reaction force was just one guy.</li><li>Experts say the group's military and law enforcement background is what makes them dangerous extremists.</li></ul>In February, federal prosecutors arrested several members of the Oath Keepers - <a href="https://www.adl.org/Backgrounders/OathKeepers">an anti-government militia group</a> - on charges related to participating in the riot at the Capitol on January 6.Prosecutors alleged that the Oath Keeper members had planned part of their attack. They wore tactical gear, held training sessions in the weeks before, and <a href="https://www.insider.com/oath-keepers-capitol-attack-plans-trump-direction-court-filings-2021-2">looked at then-President Donald Trump's direction</a> for their assault on Congress, prosecutors laid out in <keyword id="9827758" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="court-documents">court documents</keyword>.One part of the Oath Keepers' plan, prosecutors said, citing text messages, was having a "QRF," or "quick reaction force," nearby that could supply firearms to militia members "if something goes to hell."But that "quick reaction force" was actually just one guy who "is in his late 60s, obese, and has cardiopulmonary issues, a bad back, a bum knee, and is [in] need of a hip replacement," <a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.226728/gov.uscourts.dcd.226728.53.0.pdf">according to a new court filing</a>.The filing comes from an attorney representing <a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1KzWJWHdFKCgthWiBvBv85wZUIhnifkbC">Thomas Caldwell</a>. Prosecutors accused Caldwell of being <a href="https://www.insider.com/oath-keepers-capitol-attack-plans-trump-direction-court-filings-2021-2">a leading member</a> of the Oath Keepers group that participated in the Capitol riot, alongside <keyword id="10753904" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jessica-watkins">Jessica Watkins</keyword> and Donovan Crowl. The feds successfully persuaded a judge to keep him jailed ahead of trial, <a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.226728/gov.uscourts.dcd.226728.18.0_1.pdf">arguing that he was a danger to those around him</a>.David Fischer, Caldwell's new attorney, filed a motion Tuesday making a new argument for Caldwell's release from jail. He said Caldwell's role in the insurrection was less than it appeared to be, that he isn't a member of the group at all, and that the "commander" moniker Oath Keepers gave him in group chats referred to his military service as a Lt. Commander in the Navy, not that he was a commander of other Oath Keepers.Fisher also said Caldwell never actually set foot on the Capitol itself, despite organizing with Oath Keeper members who did. But prosecutors said in charging documents that <a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.226728/gov.uscourts.dcd.226728.3.0_1.pdf">Caldwell took a selfie on a Capitol building balcony</a> and wrote in a Facebook message that he was "inside" the building. They also <a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.226726/gov.uscourts.dcd.226726.1.1.pdf">cited a text message</a> Caldwell sent to a fellow insurrectionist days later saying they "stormed the gates of corruption together."Fischer downplayed the violent and military-obsessed rhetoric of Caldwell's messages. He said Caldwell was simply an aspiring screenwriter prone to such expressions."What the Government misunderstands is that Caldwell's language and personality center around his military career and his addiction to Hollywood," Fischer wrote.<h2>'A bunch of ex-military guys trying to out-plan one another'</h2>In the filing, Fischer said the "quick reaction force" was not all that it was cracked up to be."The 'Quick Reaction Force' was neither 'quick,' 'reactive,' nor a 'force.' The 'Quick Reaction Force' was one person," Fischer said."The whole discussion about a 'Quick Reaction Force' boils down to a bunch of ex-military guys trying to out-plan one another," he added.<div type="image" title="Oath Keepers capitol riot insurrection siege" height="1874" width="2498" msid="81321140" hostid="261"></div>Alex Friedfeld, an investigative researcher at the Anti-Defamation League's Center on Extremism, told Insider that <a href="https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/individual/elmer-stewart-rhodes-0">Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the national Oath Keepers organization</a>, has discussed using "quick reaction forces" before. After Trump lost the November election, Rhodes had discussed stationing them out of Washington, DC."At the same time we've got Caldwell saying they weren't a big deal, we have those texts saying they were looking into how to ferry guns across the Potomac," Friedfeld said. "He looked into it, allegedly."Friedfeld also pointed out that even someone with limited mobility could still provide guns to people if they simply have a car."The fact is, if this guy had a car full of guns, even if he's in poor health, he doesn't have to be that mobile," he said. "He can just hop in the car and drive it."<h2>The Oath Keepers have a lot of ex-cops and ex-military members</h2>Federal prosecutors <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/six-individuals-affiliated-oath-keepers-indicted-federal-grand-jury-conspiracy-obstruct">have arrested and charged</a> nine members of the Oath Keepers in connection with the insurrection so far. The Oath Keepers, along with the Proud Boys and Three Percenters, are one of the largest organized groups the <keyword id="67869" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Department-of-Justice">Department of Justice</keyword> has identified as participating in the riot.Many members of the Oath Keepers, Friedfeld told Insider, are former members of the military and law enforcement. It's that background that makes them so dangerous, he said."They have training for how to operate in a chaotic environment that they can now apply," he said. "It's their training that allowed them to exploit the chaos of that day to get to the Capitol, and to engage in the insurrection, and do what they thought needed to be done in order to send a message to politicians so that they would get President Trump re-installed in power and not have President Biden."<div type="image" title="oath keepers" height="1414" width="1885" msid="81321142" hostid="261"></div>The Justice Department <a href="https://www.insider.com/all-the-us-capitol-pro-trump-riot-arrests-charges-names-2021-1">has charged more than 300 people in the insurrection so far</a>. <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/most-charged-capitol-riot-had-no-connection-extremist-groups-or-n1259211?cid=eml_mrd_20210302&amp;utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Morning%20Rundown%20Mar%202%2C%20202102%2C%202021">A report from the George Washington University Program on Extremism found</a> that more than half of those charged didn't have ties to extremist groups.The next big challenge for the Justice Department, Friedfeld told Insider, is to identify extremists planning violence after the failed coup on January 6.The conditions that led to the insurrection in the first place, he said, still haven't changed."I think what is [likely] is that we will see in the coming months arrests of individuals who initially started plotting in the days after January 6, when it became clear that President Biden was going to take office," he said.Expanded Coverage Module: capitol-siege-module

A lawyer for an accused Oath Keeper Capitol rioter says the group's 'quick reaction force' of weapon suppliers was actually just one guy

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Law enforcement are taking a closer look at how extremist groups may have organized violence ahead of the US Capitol insurrection.</li><li>Members of the <keyword id="7348949" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Proud-Boys">Proud Boys</keyword>, <keyword id="9135624" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="three-percenters">Three Percenters</keyword>, and <keyword id="10622372" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="the-oath-keepers">The Oath Keepers</keyword> have been charged with participating in the riots.</li><li>USAO said determining the level of planning done by groups like these is a top priority for investigators.</li></ul>As the <keyword id="6355946" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="fbi">FBI</keyword> continues to investigate the mob of crazed pro-Trump fanatics who took over the US Capitol on January 6, investigators are focusing on the role that extremist groups played in organizing the terror.Members of the extremist groups Proud Boys, The Oath Keepers, and the Three Percenters are <a href="https://www.insider.com/all-the-us-capitol-pro-trump-riot-arrests-charges-names-2021-1">among the 145 individuals</a> who have been taken into custody since the insurrection.Three members of the Oath Keepers, one of the largest anti-government militias in the US, were among the rioters to be charged with conspiring to carry out the attack.The DOJ has accused Virginia resident Thomas Caldwell and Ohio residents Jessica Watkins and Donovan Crowl of communicating on Facebook as early as December 24 to prepare for January 6.They talked about what hotel they would stay at. Caldwell noted that the Comfort Inn Ballston is a "good location and would allow us to hunt at night if we wanted to," according to an affidavit filed in federal court.They freely talked about their "Oath Keeper" mission in posts on the social media accounts.Their communications continued through the attack.While at the Capitol, Caldwell received a Facebook message that said, "All members are in the tunnels under capital seal them in. Turn on gas".The FBI is using these messages as evidence that the Capitol attack was not simply a spontaneous adrenaline-fueled siege carried out by men and women playing Army, but rather a planned event.Michael Sherwin, the US Attorney for the District of Washington, said that determining the level of planning done by extremist groups is a top priority for investigators."If you look at social media, you could see a lot of affiliation with some of the protest activity, some of the rioting activity, and it runs the whole gamut of different groups from soup to nuts, A to Z. But right now, look, we're not going to label anything because everything's on the table in terms of the extremist groups," Sherwin said at a Department of Justice <a href="https://www.rev.com/blog/transcripts/doj-update-on-capitol-attackers-january-15-transcript">press update</a> last week. "We'll let them label themselves with the evidence. But all of these extremist groups are being looked at in terms of their participation at the Capitol."<h2>Many insurrectionists proudly wore symbols of far-right extremist groups</h2>Many of the Capitol rioters made their group affiliations <a href="https://www.insider.com/capitol-rioters-clothes-revealed-deeper-story-about-possible-future-threats-2021-1">obvious.</a>Clothing donning "The Oath Keepers" was spotted throughout the crowds.The Oath Keepers, comprised of mostly former military, vow to protect America from "the new world order," a future where the government imposes martial law and seizes guns.One of them, Jon Schaffer, turned himself in to the FBI on Sunday, after he was outed as one of the rioters.The Indiana musician who founded the metal "Iced Earth" was easily recognized when the FBI circulated posters with his face on it, <a href="https://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2021/01/17/jon-schaffer-fbi-custody-after-capitol-riot/4200215001/">the Indy Star reported.</a>Schaffer is accused of spraying Capitol police with bear spray while wearing a Oath Keepers Lifetime Member" hat.Other rioters wore a patch bearing the roman numeral three, a logo for the "Three Percenters."This group - often heavily armed - spreads the myth that only three percent of American colonists fought to overthrow the British and that they are the true defenders of the US constitution.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rioter-pictured-zip-tie-handcuffs-senate-is-air-force-veteran-2021-1">Larry R. Brock,</a> a decorated Air Force lieutenant colonel from Texas, was recorded inside the building wearing a helmet and holding flex cuffs. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/18/us/politics/capitol-riot-militias.html">The New York Times reported</a> that Brock was a member of the Oath Keepers and the Three Percenters.<a href="https://www.insider.com/how-proud-boys-rose-from-obscurity-to-mainstream-american-politics-2021-1">The Proud Boys -</a> an international all-male nationalist organization of people who oppose political correctness and incite violence - were also among the crowds at the Capitol.The Proud Boys claim to be a "drinking club," but in actuality, they are a radicalization vector rooted in defending the patriarchy. <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-proud-boys-rose-from-obscurity-to-mainstream-american-politics-2021-1">It also has ties to white supremacy</a>, despite its current leader being Cuban-American.<a href="https://www.insider.com/proud-boys-leader-arrested-fbi-for-storming-capitol-2021-1">Nich Ochs,</a> the Hawaii chapter president and failed congressional candidate, was arrested after he posted a selfie smoking a cigarette inside the building.Dominic Pezzola, a former Marine and Proud Boys member, was arrested after a video of him shattering a window in the Capitol with a riot shield was widely shared online.A judge banned the Proud Boys leader, Enrique Tarrio, from DC the day before the planned march outside the Capitol. Tarrio, who is accused of burning a Black Lives Matter flag at a historic Black church during a December pro-Trump rally, posed a threat to do it again, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/judge-banned-proud-boys-chairman-from-dc-ahead-of-rally-2021-1">a judge found.</a>Despite being banned from DC, Tarrio didn't return home to Miami that week. When reached by phone during the <keyword id="10554785" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="capitol-siege">Capitol siege</keyword>, Tarrio told Insider he was in a hotel room in Maryland "not breaking the law."Individuals were also seen <a href="https://www.insider.com/capitol-riots-qanon-protest-conspiracy-theory-washington-dc-protests-2021-1">carrying QAnon emblems</a> and other less specific branding - like Confederate flags of Auschwitz paraphernalia - honoring other hate movements.Sherwin said that law enforcement is not going out of their way to identify the individuals who have been arrested by the extremist groups they associate with but that investigators are looking at how the groups communicated ahead of the attacks.He called it a "tier one top priority" for the US Attorney's office and federal law enforcement to determine whether there was an "overarching command" of the riots.Plans of violence circulated <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/plans-to-storm-the-capitol-circulated-on-social-media-2021-1">online through social media and in plain sight</a> for days ahead of the Capitol siege.<div type="image" title="US Capitol Building riots" height="1663" width="2500" msid="80357323" hostid="261"></div><h2>Being a member of an extremist group is not, on its own, a <keyword id="39494" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Crime">crime</keyword></h2>The Department of Justice <a href="https://www.insider.com/canada-is-considering-labeling-proud-boys-a-terrorist-organization-2021-1">doesn't designate domestic terrorist groups.</a>In the US, belief in abhorrent ideology alone is not a crime, but adherents' illegal actions can be prosecuted."When it comes to domestic terrorism, our investigations focus solely on the criminal activity of individuals-regardless of group membership-that appears to be intended to intimidate or coerce the civilian population or influence the policy of the government by intimidation or coercion," an FBI spokesperson told Insider. "It's important to note that membership in groups that espouse domestic extremist ideology is not illegal in and of itself-no matter how offensive their views might be to the majority of society. Membership in a group is not a sufficient basis for an investigation."The FBI had previously classified the Proud Boys <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/proud-boys-extremist-group-fbi-2018-11">as an extremist group.</a>"These guys have labeled themselves. I mean, Mr. <a href="https://www.insider.com/man-with-confederate-flag-inside-of-the-us-capitol-has-been-arrested-2021-1">Kevin Seefried</a> labeled himself when he was walking through the Capitol with the Stars and Bars, and Mr. <a href="https://www.insider.com/man-wearing-camp-auschwitz-sweatshirt-capitol-siege-arrested-2021-1">Robert Packer</a> labeled himself when he was with the "Camp Auschwitz" shirt in the Capitol," Sherwin said Friday. "So we're not going to try to label these people. We'll let them label themselves with the evidence."Expanded Coverage Module: capitol-siege-module

The FBI is keeping a close eye on far-right groups like the Proud Boys, Three Percenters, and Oath Keepers as it starts to determine to what extent Capitol siege was planned in advance

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Oath Keeper militants planned out their attack at the Capitol, even holding trainings in the weeks before, and looked to Trump for direction

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Oath Keeper members texted in early January about providing security detail for Roger Stone at the Stop the Steal rally

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Members of the far-right militia group Oath Keepers used Facebook Messenger during the Capitol siege to hunt for lawmakers, FBI says

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DOJ charges 6 more defendants in the Oath Keepers movement with conspiracy in the Capitol insurrection

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Nearly 1 in 5 of the rioters charged in Capitol insurrection are military veterans, study shows

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A lawyer for an accused Oath Keeper Capitol rioter says the group's 'quick reaction force' of weapon suppliers was actually just one guy

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The FBI is keeping a close eye on far-right groups like the Proud Boys, Three Percenters, and Oath Keepers as it starts to determine to what extent Capitol siege was planned in advance

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