
Three more Oath Keepers sentenced for roles in January 6 attack: ‘I was just another idiot’
Three members of a far-right anti-government extremist group who joined a mob inside the US Capitol on January 6 were sentenced to federal prison after their convictions on a range of charges connected to the attack. The hearings in US District Court in Washington DC follow the 18-year prison sentence for Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes, who was convicted by a jury on a treason-related charge of seditious conspiracy after a nearly two-month trial last year. His is the longest sentence, to date, related to the assault at the Capitol on 6 January 2021. Kelly Meggs, another member of the Oath Keepers who was convicted of seditious conspiracy in that same case alongside Rhodes, was sentenced to 12 years in prison on 25 May. Jessica Watkins, a US Army veteran who was convicted of several other charges in that same trial, was sentenced to eight and a half years. A jury found Watkins guilty of obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress and guilty of conspiracy to obstruct. “My actions and my behaviors that fateful day were wrong, and as I now understand, criminal,” she told US District Judge Amit Mehta on 26 May. “Violence is never the answer.” Federal prosecutors argued that Watkins mobilised a group in Ohio alongside the Oath Keepers, and joined a mob in Washington DC in tactical gear to upend the results of the 2020 presidential election, fuelled by Donald Trump’s false narrative that the election was stolen and rigged against him. “I was just another idiot running around the Capitol,” she said on 26 May. “But idiots are held responsible, and today you’re going to hold this idiot responsible.” Prosecutors argued that she marched from the former president’s rally at the Ellipse and breached the halls of Congress in a military-style stack formation, encouraging members of the mob to push through law enforcement. According to messages and recordings shared at trial, Watkins declared the group “stormed the Capitol” on a radio-like communication app on the day of the attack. Judge Mehta, noting her apologies, said that her efforts that day were “more aggressive, more assaultive, more purposeful than perhaps others’.” “And you led others to fulfill your purposes,” he added “And there was not in the immediate aftermath any sense of shame or contrition, just the opposite. Your comments were celebratory and lacked a real sense of the gravity of that day and your role in it.” Kenneth Harrelson was found guilty of obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiracy to prevent an officer from discharging duties, and tampering with documents or proceedings. He was sentenced to four years in prison on 26 May. In his plea for leniency, Harrelson, weeping as he spoke, apologised to US Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, who testified during the trial that the Oath Keepers that the group failed to support law enforcement and ignored his warnings that they were endangering officers’ lives. “I am responsible and my foolish actions have caused immense pain to my wife and children,” Harrelson told Judge Mehta on Friday. The judge noted that, in evidence from federal prosecutors, “there is not a single word in a single communication that anyone would consider extremist, radicalized” or “encourages anyone to engage in violence.” Read More Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes sentenced to 18 years in prison for January 6 sedition Who are the Oath Keepers?
2023-05-27 04:52

Rwanda suspect denies killings but 'sorry' over genocide
By Wendell Roelf CAPE TOWN One of the Rwanda genocide's most wanted remaining suspects, accused of ordering the
2023-05-27 04:50

Russia strikes Ukraine clinic, blames Kyiv for border attacks
Russian missiles on Friday hit a medical clinic in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro, killing at least two people, as Russia blamed Kyiv for dozens of...
2023-05-27 04:29

Man City express interest in Joshua Kimmich
Joshua Kimmich is unsettled at Bayern Munich and Manchester City are ready to offer him a route out of Germany, with Joao Cancelo in line to be used as a makeweight in a potential deal.
2023-05-27 04:27

Monaco Grand Prix Ticket Prices: How much does it cost to get in?
Tickets to the Monaco Grand Prix are incredibly expensive.
2023-05-27 04:23

Astros legend makes flawed argument for Yordan Alvarez over Aaron Judge
A Houston Astros legend had a spicy take regarding superstar slugger Yordan Alvarez.Jeff Bagwell played 15 years with the Houston Astros, made four All-Star teams, and won the league's Most Valuable Player award. He knows a thing or two about hitting the baseball, and he knows a thing or tw...
2023-05-27 04:22

AI Is Becoming the Stock Market’s Answer to Everything
Rarely does a tech-powered stock rally come along that isn’t pilloried for the fragility of its foundation. Now,
2023-05-27 04:21

Congress must address debt ceiling by June 5, Yellen warns
Congress must address the debt ceiling by June 5 or the US Treasury will not have enough funds to pay all of the nation's obligations in full and on time, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Friday.
2023-05-27 04:20

CBS is television's most popular network for 15th straight year
CBS is television's most popular network for the 15th straight year, even though the bragging rights don't mean quite what they used to
2023-05-27 04:17

US Labor Department providing $653 million to help states upgrade UI systems
WASHINGTON The U.S. Department of Labor said on Friday it was providing up to $653 million in grants
2023-05-27 04:15

2023 MLB Mock Draft 2.0: A surprise No. 1 pick?
The MLB Draft is only months away. With that in mind, here is our MLB mock draft 2.0.Back in December, we here at FanSided dropped our first MLB Mock Draft right after the Pittsburgh Pirates won the MLB Draft Lottery. Since then, a lot has changed as the college baseball season comes to a close ...
2023-05-27 03:58

Green carpet in United Arab Emirates welcomes India's film elite for Bollywood awards ceremony
Indian celebrities and Bollywood stars are walking a green carpet for a second year in a row in the United Arab Emirates — the signature color of the International Indian Film Academy awards
2023-05-27 03:57