Updated January 24, 2025 at 16:07 PM ET
A federal judge on Friday barred Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the far-right Oath Keepers extremist group who was convicted of seditious conspiracy in connection with the Capitol riot, from entering Washington, D.C., or the U.S. Capitol without the court's permission.
Rhodes was convicted by a federal jury in 2022 of seditious conspiracy in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of President Trump's supporters. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta sentenced Rhodes to 18 years in prison, calling him a threat to the country and democracy.
But on Monday, Trump commuted Rhodes' sentence to time served, as one of 14 commutations and some 1,500 pardons for those who participated in the Jan. 6 attack. After his release from prison, Rhodes was spotted at the U.S. Capitol.
On Friday, Judge Mehta issued an order prohibiting Rhodes and seven other Oath Keepers convicted in connection with the Capitol riot from entering Washington, D.C., or the U.S. Capitol building or grounds without first obtaining the court's permission.
In response, the Justice Department filed a motion with the court opposing the judge's order. The government filing, signed by Ed Martin Jr., the new Trump-appointed acting U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., argues that Rhodes and the other defendants are no longer subject to the terms of supervised release and probation because of the president's commutation, so the court must vacate its order.
Rhodes' lawyer declined to comment on the court's order.
Copyright 2025 NPR
