Last Updated on January 13, 2022
National File can exclusively confirm that Oath Keepers founder and leader Stewart Rhodes was arrested within the last hour at his home in Texas.
The arrested happened this morning while Rhodes was speaking to January 6 defense attorney Jon Moseley, who had just secured Rhodes as a witness in an upcoming trial against fellow Oath Keeper Kelly Meggs.
According to Moseley, he had recently secured Rhodes as a witness in the upcoming January 6 trial of Oath Keeper Kelly Meggs.
Moseley had also subpoenaed Ray Epps and John Sullivan for this trial.
“He completely confirmed the innocence of my client and all the Oath Keepers” said Moseley, “He wanted to come testify at the trial on April 19.”
Then, the police called.
As the two discussed specifics, and Rhodes revealed that he was granted an extension while he considered whether to speak before the January 6 select committee, he received a call from police.
Officers were gathered outside, and he was asked to come out with his hands raised, Moseley relayed to National File.
Rhodes then merged the phone calls, connecting Virginia-based Moseley with the Texas police. Moseley said he acted as an impartial voice, encouraging Rhodes to “get dressed” and surrender while also urging the police to show restraint with other people in the home.
“Typically when a January 6 defendant is arrested, they put everyone in the house in handcuffs,” Moseley told National File. “Apparently there was a person sick with COVID in the home.”
It was not immediately clear what Rhodes was arrested for, or if it was related to January 6.
Following initial publication of this article, the indictment from the Justice Department was unsealed, revealing that Rhodes and 10 others, including Meggs, were charged with seditious conspiracy, obstructing official proceedings, and other counts.
“After the Presidential Election, ELMER STEWART RHODES III conspired with his co-defendants… to oppose by force the lawful transfer of presidential power.”
According to the indictment:
“Rhodes and certain co-conspirators… planned to stop the lawful transfer of presidential power by January 20, 2021, which included multiple ways to deploy force. They coordinated travel across the country to enter Washington, D.C., equipped themselves with a variety of weapons, donned combat and tactical gear, and were prepared to answer RHODES’S call to take up arms at RHODES’S direction. Some co-conspirators also amassed firearms on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., distributed them among ‘quick reaction force’ (‘QRF’) teams, and planned to use the firearms in support of their plot to stop the lawful transfer of presidential power.”
Before the indictment was unsealed, The New York Times and The Washington Post both reported that Rhodes was charged with “seditious conspiracy,” citing law enforcement sources.
According to Moseley, Rhodes was renting space at the residence where he was arrested, and has been unable to raise money as allegations swirl that he worked with the federal government on January 6, 2021.
Moseley suggested the timing was significant.
“This is too fast for them to put this together and then arrest him, unless they’ve had an indictment sitting under seal,” said Moseley.
“Even then, it’s too fast.”
Moseley’s remark about timing is particularly noteworthy considering the recent buzz created by the revelation that he had subpoenaed Epps, Sullivan, and Rhodes.
After the news broke, Ted Cruz appeared on Tucker Carlson Tonight and raised questions about whether Epps works for the federal government.
Shortly after that interview, a member of the January 6 select committee claimed that it had interviewed Epps privately. Per the committee, the mysterious Arizonan said that he was not working for the federal government or any of its agencies. This satisfied fact checkers.
Now, over a year since the events of January 6, 2021, Rhodes has been arrested.
It is not clear if he has secured legal representation in Texas at this time.
This is a breaking news story and National File may provide updates with additional information as it becomes available.
