It’s been almost two years since the Jan. 6 riot, and though the wheels of justice tend to roll slowly, they don’t roll that slow. Indeed, in that time nearly 1,000 people who stormed the Capitol have been charged with crimes. To that list, add Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, the far-right militia group that played a big part in that fateful day. Rhodes was found guilty of seditious conspiracy in his attempts to keep former president Donald Trump in office. But one person is arguably happier about the conviction than most.
The Daily Beast spoke to Rhodes’ estranged wife, Tasha Adams, who is busy finalizing her divorce from someone who may serve 20 years in the clink. How does she feel about it? Pretty darn good!
“I am beyond happy,” Adams told the Beast. “He has absolutely never had to face a consequence in his entire life. This will be the very first time. He’s spent his life making others pay—this was past due for him.”
Rhodes, who was acquitted of two separate conspiracy charges, wasn’t the only Oath Keeper convicted on Tuesday. One of his subordinates, Kelly Maggs, was as well, though three others were found not guilty. Still, this is a big deal: As The New York Times noted, it’s the first time in nearly 20 Jan. 6 trials that the jury decided the violence was a result of an organized conspiracy. Seditious conspiracy, which dates back to the Civil War, is the most serious crime yet brought upon a Capitol attack participant.
Rhodes emerged as one of Jan. 6’s most memorable characters, which is saying something. He’s distinguishable from the eyepatch he sometimes, but not always, wears, as well as the Descendents t-shirt he wore at the trial — a sartorial choice condemned by the punk band themselves. Perhaps Rhodes can ask Elon Musk what it’s like to be hated by (a) musician(s) they like.
(Via The Daily Beast and NYT)