By Steve Neavling
Four members of the Oath Keepers were convicted of conspiring to obstruct the work of Congress on Monday for their role in the Jan. 6, 2021, siege on the U.S. Capitol.
It was the third and final trial stemming from the far-right group’s attack on the Capitol.
Sandra Parker, Laura Steele, Connie Meggs and William Isaacs were also convicted of numerous other charges, including destruction of government property and conspiracy to prevent members of Congress from discharging their duties by certifying the results of the 2020 election.
Two others affiliated with the Oath Keepers – Bonnie Parker and Michael Greene – were found guilty Monday of illegally entering and remaining on the Capitol grounds, but they avoided a conviction on conspiracy charges.
At two previous trials, Oath Keeper leader Stewart Rhodes and five other members of the group were found guilty of seditious conspiracy, the most serious charge filed in the attack.
In the latest trial, the six defendants did not face sedition charges.
“They seized and claimed a building that cannot belong to them alone,” Alexandra Hughes, a prosecutor, said of the defendants during her closing statement this month. “They imposed their will on the democratic process. They violated a principle that we all must abide.”
As a result of the three trials, 15 Oath Keeper members have been convicted on felony counts.
