By Steve Neavling
Before helping lead an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes corresponded with Secret Service agents, according to emails obtained by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics (CREW).
The Oath Keepers had requested to provided security detail for supporters of then-President Donald Trump during a rally in late 2020.
The Secret Service previously denied having contact with Rhodes.
The far-right white nationalist group said it wanted to “provide protection and medical attention to Trump supporters if they come under attack by leftist groups” during a rally in Fayetteville, N.C., in September 2020.
An agent who described himself as the “unofficial liaison to the Oath Keepers” also said he got a call from Rhodes about questions he had of the agency.
According to an email between Secret Service agents, the Oath Keepers said their detail would include “primarily retired law enforcement/former military members who are very pro-LEO [law enforcement officer] and Pro Trump. Their stated purpose is to provide protection and medical attention to Trump supporters if they come under attack by leftist groups.”
During his trial, Rhodes admitted he had contact with the Secret Service.
Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years in prison earlier this year after he was convicted on seditious conspiracy charges related to the riot.
