Photo: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Born in United States · Nationality American — Religion / ideologues / activism

Stewart Rhodes

Ideologies, militancy and activism Religion, sects and spiritual movements

Documented profile covering 9 controversies, including “Founding of Oath Keepers and recruitment of former military personnel and police officers” and “Armed deployment during Bundy ranch standoff”.

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Profile No. 1193 · Updated on 12 October 2026

9Documented controversies

10Sources

1Formal charge · all time1 closed without conviction

0Conviction

§ Legal statuses reflect the documented sources as of the date shown; they replace neither court decisions nor the presumption of innocence. Counts are not a rating. Methodology

I. Documented controversies

Case · 2 documented stages

Trump commutation followed by dismissal with prejudice of 6 January charges

Case dismissed / dropped

2025-2026

Trump commutation followed by dismissal with prejudice of 6 January charges

Case dismissed / dropped

Donald Trump commuted Rhodes's sentence to time served on 20 January 2025. Following litigation over supervision restrictions, the convictions were vacated in 2026, and on 4 August Judge Amit Mehta agreed to dismiss the charges with prejudice at the Justice Department's request.

Attribution: Accused

Sources · 3

[1]
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia / FindLawUnited States v. Rhodes — order concerning post-commutation restrictionsCourt recordVery high reliability
[2]
ReutersJudge grants Justice Department bid to dismiss Oath Keepers prosecutionsNews agencyVery high reliability
[3]
The Washington PostJudge dismisses Jan. 6 seditious conspiracy charges against Oath KeepersPressVery high reliability

Last verified: 8 September 2026

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2021-2023

6 January: seditious conspiracy and 18-year sentence with terrorism enhancement

Case dismissed / dropped

A federal jury found Rhodes guilty of seditious conspiracy in November 2022. In May 2023, he was sentenced to 18 years; Judge Amit Mehta applied a terrorism-related sentencing enhancement. Prosecutors presented messages, operational plans and evidence concerning a quick reaction force with weapons outside Washington.

State of the evidence: Established by a court
Attribution: Accused
Course of the proceedings: Formally charged — Formal charge before the current outcome

Sources · 2

[1]
U.S. Department of JusticeTwo Leaders of Oath Keepers Found Guilty of Seditious Conspiracy and Other Charges Related to U.S. Capitol BreachOfficial documentVery high reliability
[2]
U.S. Department of JusticeCourt Sentences Two Oath Keepers Leaders to 18 Years in Prison for Seditious Conspiracy and Other Charges Related to U.S. Capitol BreachOfficial documentVery high reliability

Last verified: 8 September 2026

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années 2000-2024

Family allegations of abuse, coercive control and isolation

Allegations

Rhodes's former wife and some of their children publicly described a family environment marked, according to them, by control, isolation and abusive behaviour. His son Dakota Adams notably recounted a childhood dominated by his father's extremist convictions.

Attribution: Directly implicated

Sources · 1

[1]
Associated PressOath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes’ son is running for office as a DemocratNews agencyVery high reliability

Last verified: 8 September 2026

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2009-2021

Founding of Oath Keepers and recruitment of former military personnel and police officers

No legal proceedings

Rhodes founded Oath Keepers in 2009 around the idea that military personnel and police officers should refuse orders they considered unconstitutional. The group recruited from the armed forces and law enforcement and was described by researchers and authorities as an anti-government militia.

State of the evidence: Documented
Attribution: Directly implicated

Sources · 2

[1]
CBS News / Associated PressOath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes: From Yale Law School to prisonNews agencyVery high reliability
[2]
CBS News / 60 MinutesOath Keepers: How a militia group mobilized in plain sight for the assault on the CapitolPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 8 September 2026

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2020

'Civil war' rhetoric, praise for Kyle Rittenhouse and Twitter ban

No legal proceedings

During the unrest of 2020, Rhodes declared that 'civil war' had arrived, described left-wing activists as a communist insurgency and portrayed Kyle Rittenhouse as a hero. Twitter suspended accounts associated with Oath Keepers under its policy against violent extremist groups.

State of the evidence: Documented
Attribution: Personally implicated

Sources · 1

[1]
The Washington PostThe long, dangerous history of the far right’s calls for violence and civil warPressVery high reliability

Last verified: 8 September 2026

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2014-2015

Armed patrols in Ferguson after protests

No legal proceedings

Armed Oath Keepers members deployed, notably on shop rooftops, in Ferguson following protests over Michael Brown's death. Their paramilitary presence drew strong criticism.

State of the evidence: Documented
Attribution: Institutional responsibility

Sources · 1

[1]
CBS News / 60 MinutesOath Keepers: How a militia group mobilized in plain sight for the assault on the CapitolPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 8 September 2026

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2015

Armed mobilisation around Sugar Pine Mine

No legal proceedings

Oath Keepers sent armed activists to the Sugar Pine Mine in Oregon during a dispute with the Bureau of Land Management, increasing the group's visibility in confrontations with federal authority.

State of the evidence: Documented
Attribution: Institutional responsibility

Sources · 1

[1]
CBS News / Associated PressOath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes: From Yale Law School to prisonNews agencyVery high reliability

Last verified: 8 September 2026

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2014-2015

Disbarment in Montana for professional misconduct

Civil / administrative proceedings

Rhodes was disbarred in Montana in December 2015. The proceedings concerned, among other matters, duties owed to a client, a missed hearing while he was at the Bundy ranch and, above all, his refusal to respond to and cooperate with the disciplinary process.

State of the evidence: Documented
Attribution: Directly implicated

Sources · 2

[1]
CBS News / Associated PressOath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes: From Yale Law School to prisonNews agencyVery high reliability
[2]
ForbesOath Keeper Founder At Risk Of Being DisbarredPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 8 September 2026

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April 2014

Armed deployment during Bundy ranch standoff

No legal proceedings

Rhodes mobilised Oath Keepers around Cliven Bundy's ranch in Nevada during a dispute with federal authorities over grazing on public land. Armed members participated in the standoff with federal agents.

State of the evidence: Documented
Attribution: Institutional responsibility

Sources · 1

[1]
CBS News / Associated PressOath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes: From Yale Law School to prisonNews agencyVery high reliability

Last verified: 8 September 2026

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II. Constellation of documented links

Linked profile (portrait or initials) — click to open it
Line width: number of documented references
Hover over or tap a line: controversies and sources

Two profiles are linked when a documented controversy of one names the other. The link points to that controversy and its sources; it does not indicate a personal relationship.

List of documented links (2)

Donald Trump1 documented reference
- Trump commutation followed by dismissal with prejudice of 6 January charges Source ↗
Kyle Rittenhouse1 documented reference
- 'Civil war' rhetoric, praise for Kyle Rittenhouse and Twitter ban Source ↗

III. Has something changed?

A new court decision, a missing source, a mistake? Tell us what should be updated: every request is read by the editorial team.