for his leadership role in the J6 insurrection, Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes is about to sentenced to what could be many many years in a federal prison.
The DOJ has requested 25 years which includes a terrorism enhancement.
Stewart will have an opportunity to make a statement on his own behalf (allocution.) With his ego and temper that could be quite a volatile speech.
Rhodes' first words: "I am a political prisoner."
He blames the radical left for everything.
He says that the Oath Keepers' role was to "peacefully" deter Antifa.
He says that OKs are nonviolent "zero record of actual use of force."
Uh huh.
Let's just say he doesn't sound like he's going to get a reduced sentence for accepting responsibility for his acts.
All in all, this is fairly tame compared to what he could have said. I'd half-expected a call to arms.
So he said enough to earn a pardon if Trump wins, but not enough to get a longer sentence than he otherwise would if no pardon is possible.
The judge took a break and is back.
The judge quoted the sheepdog speech made by Stewart after Bundy Ranch.
I feel seen.
The judge called Stewart an "ongoing threat to this country."
The judge is ripping into Stewart. Will the sentence match?
Nope. He sentenced Rhodes to 18 years.
In federal prison, you have to serve at least 85% of your sentences even if you qualify for time off for god behavior.
Rhodes is 58. He'll get credit for the 17 months he's been incarcerated awaiting trial. Bottom line, the earliest he'll see light of day is when he's 72.
@jjmacnab he should start fundraising for the pardon now, given they go for $2 million a pop.
@jjmacnab Wonder why the judge went light?
Reckons Elmer won't survive even TEN years in a Federal slammer. Nobody keeps corpses locked up.
@jjmacnab “Good behavior”? Unlikely.
He ends his speech with a claim that he is the "American Solzhenitsyn to expose the criminality of this administration."
It's a comparison he's made several times in recent years.