Who Is Stewart Rhodes? Oath Keepers Founder Sees January 6 Case Dismissed

A federal judge on Tuesday formally dismissed the seditious conspiracy case against Stewart Rhodes, founder of the far-right Oath Keepers, and eight co-defendants, bringing to a close what the court described as the final outstanding criminal prosecution tied to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta granted the Justice Department’s request to dismiss the indictment, though he emphasized that the government had not argued the evidence against Rhodes was insufficient, that prosecutorial misconduct had occurred, or that the convictions were wrongful. Instead, the department said it was exercising its prosecutorial discretion, arguing that dismissal served the interests of justice.

In his order, Mehta said he was granting the request “reluctantly,” writing that, in the court’s view, ending the final Jan. 6 prosecution was not in the public interest. Nevertheless, he concluded the executive branch had the authority to seek dismissal.

Who is Stewart Rhodes?

Stewart Rhodes has long been one of the most recognizable figures in the American far-right movement. A former U.S. Army paratrooper and graduate of Yale Law School, Rhodes founded the Oath Keepers in 2009 amid growing anti-government sentiment following Barack Obama’s election.

Born in California and raised partly in Nevada, Rhodes briefly served in the U.S. Army before leaving after a training injury. In his late twenties, he lost his left eye in an accidental firearms incident, an injury that led to his trademark black eye patch and became a defining part of his public image.

After earning his law degree from Yale, Rhodes became active in conservative and libertarian circles, frequently writing about constitutional rights and what he described as government overreach. He launched the Oath Keepers as an organization that said it sought to defend the U.S. Constitution by encouraging military personnel, veterans, police officers, firefighters and other first responders to refuse any orders they believed violated constitutional principles.

Over time, however, the group became one of the country’s most prominent armed anti-government organizations. Oath Keepers members appeared at several high-profile flashpoints, including the 2014 Bundy Ranch standoff, protests in Ferguson, and demonstrations in Portland. Civil rights organizations and federal authorities increasingly scrutinized the group over its rhetoric, armed mobilization and role in political demonstrations.

The case against Rhodes

Rhodes became the highest-profile defendant charged with seditious conspiracy after the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. Federal prosecutors argued he coordinated Oath Keepers members before and during the assault on Congress as lawmakers met to certify the 2020 presidential election results.

Although Rhodes never entered the Capitol building, prosecutors told jurors he directed members from outside, describing him as a commander overseeing operations “like a battlefield general.” They alleged he organized teams, coordinated communications and positioned armed members outside Washington in preparation for what they claimed could become a broader confrontation.

In November 2022, a federal jury convicted Rhodes of seditious conspiracy, obstruction of an official proceeding and evidence tampering. He was sentenced in 2023 to 18 years in prison,the longest sentence imposed on any Jan. 6 defendant at the time.

Rhodes consistently denied planning an attack on the Capitol, arguing that the Oath Keepers were present only to provide security and prepare for possible unrest rather than interfere with Congress.

Trump’s clemency

Rhodes’ prison term was cut short after President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025 and issued sweeping clemency covering nearly 1,600 people charged in connection with the Capitol riot. The action resulted in Rhodes and other senior Oath Keepers members being released from prison.

Following his release, a federal judge imposed restrictions preventing Rhodes and several other former defendants from entering Washington, D.C., or the U.S. Capitol without prior court approval.

Following Tuesday’s dismissal, Rhodes’ attorney argued that the seditious conspiracy charge should never have been filed, describing it as an attempt to criminalize political beliefs.

Judge Mehta, however, used his dismissal order to recount the events of Jan. 6 in detail, signaling his continued disagreement with the Justice Department’s decision even as he approved it.

The ruling effectively closes the legal chapter on the government’s most prominent seditious conspiracy case stemming from the Capitol attack. It also marks the formal end of the last major prosecution connected to Jan. 6, following Trump’s sweeping pardons and commutations for hundreds of defendants at the start of his second term.