ArchiveFM

The Daily

A Landmark Jan. 6 Verdict

In a landmark verdict, a jury convicted Stewart Rhodes, leader of the Oath Keepers, a right-wing militia, of sedition for his role in the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol. The charge he faced, seditious conspiracy, is one that can be traced to the American Civil War. How did federal prosecutors make their case, and what does the verdict tell us about just how organized the attack really was? Guest: Alan Feuer, a reporter covering courts and criminal justice for The New York Times.
Duration
37m
Broadcast on
01 Dec 2022
Audio Format
other

In a landmark verdict, a jury convicted Stewart Rhodes, leader of the Oath Keepers, a right-wing militia, of sedition for his role in the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol.

The charge he faced, seditious conspiracy, is one that can be traced to the American Civil War. 

How did federal prosecutors make their case, and what does the verdict tell us about just how organized the attack really was?

Guest: Alan Feuer, a reporter covering courts and criminal justice for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This podcast is supported by TikTok. Sometimes the most interesting discoveries are the ones you weren't looking for. That happens every day on TikTok. A science experiment can spark a whole new interest. A recipe you stumble upon can become a meal you make for the people you love. And a restaurant you've never heard of might become your new favorite spot. That's the thing about TikTok. Follow your curiosity and see where it leads. Your next discovery is waiting on TikTok. From New York Times, I'm Michael Bobaro. This is a daily. In a landmark verdict a few days ago, a jury convicted the leader of a right-wing militia group of sedition for his role in the January 6th assault on the U.S. Capitol. Today, I speak with my colleague, Alan Foyer, about how federal prosecutors made their case and what the verdict tells us about just how organized the attack really was. It's Thursday, December 1st. Alan, pretty much from the moment of the January 6th assault on the Capitol, you have been covering the U.S. government's efforts to track down and prosecute as many of those as possible who carried out the actual attack. So why did this case, this trial of Stewart Rhodes and the organization, he runs Oath Keepers? Why does it matter so much? Well, I mean, look, you're absolutely right, Michael. There have been a lot of cases stemming from January 6th, but the Oath Keepers were absolutely central to what unfolded at the Capitol that day. And the charges that Stewart Rhodes and four other members of the Oath Keepers were facing in this case, these were the most serious out of any of the 900 criminal cases that the Justice Department has brought so far. In fact, this case was the first time that a jury was asked to consider the charge of seditious conspiracy. And explain that charge. I mean, it sounds very serious, but just on a technical level, what that means. Sure, well, first of all, just as a baseline, it's not a small-time charge, right? It's not trespassing, it's not even assault. It is effectively a political conspiracy.

Transcription truncated.

In a landmark verdict, a jury convicted Stewart Rhodes, leader of the Oath Keepers, a right-wing militia, of sedition for his role in the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol. The charge he faced, seditious conspiracy, is one that can be traced to the American Civil War. How did federal prosecutors make their case, and what does the verdict tell us about just how organized the attack really was? Guest: Alan Feuer, a reporter covering courts and criminal justice for The New York Times.