Judge slaps new restrictions on Oath Keepers after Trump commutation
Stewart Rhodes and his fellow Oath Keepers were freed from jail earlier this week after President Donald Trump commuted their prison sentences.
However, that does not mean that they will suddenly enjoy all of the same rights as American citizens who have not been convicted on seditious conspiracy charges.
Politico's Kyle Cheney on BlueSky flags a new order from United States District Court Judge Amit Mehta informing Rhodes and other convicted members of the so-called Oath Keepers that "you must not knowingly enter the District of Columbia without first obtaining the permission from the Court" and "you must not knowingly enter the United States Capitol Building or onto surrounding grounds... without first obtaining the permission from the Court."
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Although Rhodes already visited the Capitol building earlier this week, he will not be penalized under this order since it will only go into effect at noon on Friday, January 24.
Judge Mehta oversaw the trial of Rhodes and other Oath Keepers, who were found guilty by a jury of seditious conspiracy in May of 2023.
Shortly before Trump took power, Mehta issued a warning about the dangers of letting the militia leader free given his role in trying to violently overthrow the constitutional order.
"The notion that Stewart Rhodes could be absolved is frightening and ought to be frightening to anyone who cares about democracy in this country," the judge said at the time.