A jury in Washington, DC has found four members of the far-right militia group Oath Keepers guilty of seditious conspiracy in connection with the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack. This is the second major trial of far-right extremists accused of plotting to forcibly keep President Donald Trump in power, and the four men now face up to 20 years in prison. The Justice Department has charged more than 400 people in connection with the Capitol attack, and the convictions of the Oath Keepers are seen as a major victory in their efforts to hold those responsible accountable.
Posts tagged as “Capitol”
Richard Barnett, known as "Bigo," was found guilty on eight counts related to his involvement in the January 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection. He was convicted of civil disorder, obstruction of an official proceeding, and other charges, and faces up to 20 years in prison. The trial of Barnett and other rioters is part of the ongoing effort to hold those responsible for the attack accountable.
Richard "Bigo" Barnett, an Arkansas man, was found guilty on all counts Monday after brief jury deliberations for his involvement in the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. He was convicted of eight counts, including felony charges of civil disorder and obstruction of an official proceeding, and faces up to 20 years in prison. Barnett is the latest of more than 400 people to be charged in connection with the attack on the Capitol, which left five people dead and dozens of police officers injured.
Three U.S. Marines, Micah Coomer, Joshua Abate and Dodge Dale Hellonen, have been arrested and charged with four misdemeanors for their involvement in the Capitol riot on January 6th. The FBI identified them through footage and Coomer's Instagram account, which showed him expressing support for the Boogaloo Bois. The FBI is continuing to investigate the incident and more arrests are expected.
Three active-duty Marines have been charged with participating in the Capitol riot on January 6th, 2021. FBI agents became aware of one of the Marines, Micah Coomer, after he posted pictures of himself inside the Capitol building on Instagram. Dozens of people charged in the riot have military backgrounds, but these three are among only a handful on active duty. No defense lawyers for the men have been listed in the court docket yet.
Donald Trump has requested that his Facebook account be reinstated after it was blocked in response to the U.S. Capitol riot in January 2021. His campaign has argued that the ban has "dramatically distorted and inhibited the public discourse." Meta's expert-led oversight board has criticized the ban, and Trump has access to his Twitter account again. It is yet to be seen if Meta will accept Trump's request and what terms and conditions will be attached.
The U.S. Capitol Police have investigated 7,501 potential threats against members of Congress in 2022, a historically high number but slightly down from the previous two years. The agency is continuing to investigate potential threats and has implemented additional security measures, such as increased surveillance and National Guard troops, to protect the Capitol complex and its members. They are also working to increase public awareness of the need to report any suspicious activity or potential threats.
The National Archives and the Justice Department are investigating the discovery of classified documents at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement, an office where President Joe Biden spent time after eight years in the Obama administration. Approximately 10 documents marked classified were found at the Biden residence in Wilmington, Del., including top-secret material, and another 10 were found at the office. The investigation is ongoing to determine how the documents ended up in the office and why they were not removed prior to the president’s departure.