Graydon Young (Photo via DOJ)
Founder of Oathkeepers stewart rose Spoken as if he had a “direct line” with the former president donald trump Collaborating witnesses testified Monday in an encrypted chat forum for Florida members of the extremist group.
The exchange took place on Christmas Day in a Signal chat titled “OKFL Hangout.”Before and after that day, members of the Oathkeepers at the time Graydon Young I thought the appearance of the leader of the group was an anomaly. For Young, it felt like his CEO showing up at a local branch of a major bank.
In addition, Young said Rhodes appeared to possess extraordinary intelligence in his efforts to reverse Trump’s defeat.
“What do you think about the likely outcome on 1/6 based on the current situation and Trump’s dithering?” One chat shows what he’s saying.
“He has been advised to trust Congress and wait until the 6th,” Rhodes wrote, later adding:
At 6:58 p.m. on Christmas Day, Rhodes wrote: [Trump] We need to know that if he doesn’t act, we will. He needs to understand that we have no choice. ”
During his lengthy turn on the witness stand, Young spoke of his radicalization after watching hours of election deniers’ videos on YouTube every day.He also explained the low opinion he has formed of Trump’s peers Roger Stonea friend of the group who relied on the Oath Keepers for security.
“Honestly, I wasn’t overly impressed,” Young, a former member of the Oath Keepers, said of Stone.
After his first encounter with a longtime Republican operative, Stone said:
Often referred to as a “dirty trickster,” Stone was a longtime figure in the Republican Party. Richard Nixon, whose face stone is tattooed on his back. Stone also has a reputation for unleashing Nixonian tactics against perceived political opponents. He was convicted of obstruction of justice, witness intimidation, and other charges. Robert Mueller The investigation continued until Trump pardoned him after he pointed out that Stone could attack the former president.
But for Young, Stone exaggerated his actual clout.
“I don’t think he has political power,” Young said. “He thinks so.”
However, Stone infiltrated a right-wing extremist group. On January 6, the Commission revealed that both the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys had encrypted chat forums titled “FOS,” which stands for “Friends of Stone.”
Photographs brought into evidence show Stone raising his arms and hands in Nixon’s iconic “victory” sign. Oathkeeper members at his side, like Young, emulate the gesture.
Before dating Stone, Young stewed over what he believed was a stolen election. He said he would be “really emotionally invested” by watching videos on the topic on YouTube and Facebook.
“I feel really good,” he recalled.
Ultimately, Young said he felt the need to act. Evidence suggests that he took a tougher stance in his Oath Keepers group chat on December 20, 2020 on Signal.
“So far they have successfully suppressed and ignored our marches and protests…We need something more,” said Young, who wrote under the pseudonym “GenX.” .
When Jan. 6 arrived, Young seemed like the storming of the Bastille that started the French Revolution. Joe Biden’s Victory, that ferocious rush for Young was short-lived.
Young said he and his sister burned tactical equipment and Oathkeeper T-shirts in an incinerator. He also admitted to deleting certain Signal messages.
In June, Young pleaded guilty to two felonies.
“I participated in a conspiracy to obstruct Congress,” he said.
When he explained his obligations under that contract, Young looked choked and his voice cracked. “I was guilty and I knew it,” he said. He reached for a tissue from the bench and rubbed it across his face.
On cross-examination, Rhodes lawyer james lee bright Even though Young pleaded guilty, it tried to undermine the idea that there was a criminal conspiracy. Bright tried to anger Young by never testifying about his agreement to commit the crime.
Young admitted it was true, but added that he thought it was implied.
The highest indictment against the Oth-Keeper, seditious conspiracy, punishes any attempt to overthrow the government or to stop the enforcement of one of its laws. According to Bright, Young told his FBI he had no clear plans to enter the Capitol on January 6.
Agreeing, Young said:
“Was it just spontaneous?” Bright asked.
Young replied in the affirmative. Counsel for the five defendants took turns repeating the same theme.lawyer Julie Hallera former Trump Homeland Security official representing the leader of the Oath Keepers Florida chapter Kelly MeggsYoung said he had not pleaded guilty to assault and was not violent on Jan. 6. Young also told the mob not to damage property, she said.
During the trial, prosecutors emphasized that a group of Oath Keepers were waiting inside the Comfort Inn in Alexandra, Virginia.
Referring to this so-called rapid response ability, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Nestler asked Young.
“Mr. Megs,” Young replied.
Oathkeeper’s defense attorneys took turns trying to minimize his actions, but Young concluded his testimony with a ferocious self-assessment. stand.
Young wasn’t the only co-witness to suggest a relationship between Rose and the former president.
Former Oathkeepers member at admission accompanying his guilty plea William Todd Wilson He claimed to have overheard Rhodes trying to reach Trump on the phone shortly after the attack on the U.S. Capitol. It is said to have been done in
In a private suite at the hotel, Wilson said, Rhodes hooked the person up to another line on the speakerphone.
“Wilson heard Rhodes repeatedly pleading with individuals to call on groups such as the Oath Keepers to oppose the forced transfer of power to President Trump,” Wilson said in a signature accompanying his guilty plea. “This individual rejected Rose’s request to speak directly to President Trump. After the call ended, Rhodes told the group, ‘I just want to fight.’ rice field.
It’s unclear if prosecutors will call Wilson to tell jurors his account. Amit meter They have only one more private witness before the government drops its case this week. Rhodes is expected to testify in his defense.
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