[Several Members of Oath Keepers, a Far-Right Extremist Group, Banned from Entering Washington, DC and the US Capitol Without Court Permission
A federal judge has ruled that several members of the Oath Keepers, a far-right extremist group, must obtain court permission before entering Washington, DC or the grounds of the US Capitol. The ruling applies to the group’s founder, Stewart Rhodes, and seven other members who were previously serving time in prison for their conviction of seditious conspiracy.
The ruling comes after President Donald Trump commuted the sentences of the eight Oath Keepers members earlier this week. Trump also left open the possibility of granting them pardons, and has already pardoned over 1,000 people charged in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.
Since their release from prison, Rhodes was spotted on Capitol Hill, where he expressed no regrets over his actions that led to his prosecution. “Well, I don’t regret standing up for my country, I don’t regret calling out the election as what it was, which was stolen, illegal, and unconstitutional,” he said.
In a dramatic turnaround, the Justice Department is now defending the January 6 defendants, arguing that the travel restrictions should be lifted. They argue that the restrictions are part of the individuals’ terms of supervised release and probation, which were commuted by the president. The Justice Department has filed a brief arguing that the court may not modify the terms of supervised release, which is no longer in effect as a result of Trump’s executive action.
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