Judge Restricts Jan. 6 Defendants from Entering Washington Without Approval
At least one defendant has been present in Washington since receiving a pardon.
On January 24, a federal judge prohibited Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and seven others from entering Washington without prior court approval, just days after Rhodes made a visit to Capitol Hill.
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta issued a one-page order altering the supervised release conditions for eight members of the Oath Keepers convicted of crimes linked to the January 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol.
“You must not knowingly enter the United States Capitol Building or onto surrounding grounds known as Capitol Square…without first obtaining the permission from the Court.”
James Lee Bright, the attorney who represented Rhodes during the trial, expressed concern on Friday that the recent criticisms of the pardons from judges in Washington’s federal court could lead to increased scrutiny for his client and others on supervised release.
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Following the commutation of his sentence, Rhodes was released from a Maryland federal prison where he was serving an 18-year term for seditious conspiracy and related offenses.
On Wednesday, Rhodes visited Capitol Hill and met with at least one lawmaker.
“I have the right to free speech and I’m here on official business,” he told reporters after being informed by a staffer that he was being disrespectful by being in the Capitol.
While Rhodes did not enter the Capitol on January 6, 2021, members of his group did.
“I led my team, and they made mistakes,” Rhodes remarked. “If I had been with them, I’d have said don’t go inside the Capitol. I don’t believe they committed any crimes; at most, it was trespassing. However, they went inside to assist police officers.”
Rhodes stated he was in Washington to advocate for the release of another January 6 defendant. He expressed gratitude for his commuted sentence and indicated he would seek a full pardon from Trump.
This week, Judge Mehta also lifted the home confinement requirement for several others who were convicted alongside Rhodes and allowed one of them to retrieve their passport.
Trump’s issuance of commutations and pardons has drawn criticism from Democrats.
“Most of the individuals were completely innocent,” he elaborated, noting that “some of those interactions with police were indeed true, but they were very minor incidents.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
