FBI: Oathkeepers Linked To Jan 6 Arrests, Sedition

AP News, January 20, 2021:

CINCINNATI (AP) — Federal authorities presented new details on Tuesday about three self-described members of a paramilitary group who are the first to be charged with plotting the attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The FBI said a Virginia man, Thomas Edward Caldwell, appeared to be a leader of the effort. Caldwell and a man and woman from Ohio were all charged with conspiracy and other federal counts, the first of more than 125 people arrested in connection with the Jan. 6 assault to be charged with conspiracy.

The chilling details in the case included communications between the defendants and others.

“All members are in the tunnels under the capital,” the FBI quoted a message sent to Caldwell during the Capitol attack. “Seal them in turn on gas.”

Other messages referred to the legislators as “traitors” and called for “night hunting.”

The FBI collected social media messages, photos and video to identify them as part of the Oath Keepers, which believes in a “shadowy conspiracy” to strip Americans of their rights.

Messages included in FBI charging documents had quotes with the three suspects exulting over breaching the Capitol, and Caldwell telling an Oath Keepers leader he was ready to attack Ohio’s capital of Columbus.

“We need to do this at the local level,” he allegedly messaged. “Lets (sic) storm the capitol in Ohio. Tell me when!”

Details of the documents made public offer some insight to planning and coordination behind the extraordinary attack, which apparently took law enforcement by surprise despite various warnings online.

The Oath Keepers group often recruits current and former military, police or other first responders. Records show that Donovan Crowl, 50, served in the U.S. Marines. He was arrested along with Jessica Watkins, 38. Both are Champaign County, Ohio, residents. It wasn’t clear immediately whether either Caldwell or Watkins has military or law enforcement experience.

The FBI said some Oath Keepers members were wearing helmets, protective vests and items with the group’s name and motto: “Not On Our Watch.” The FBI also said that they seemed to “move in an organized and practiced fashion and force their way to the front of the crowd gathered around a door to the U.S. Capitol.”

An affidavit filed against Caldwell states that he was involved in the planning and coordinating of the Capitol breach with Watkins and Crowl. Watkins, who allegedly called herself the commanding officer, and Crowl allegedly belong to the Ohio State Regular Militia, dues-paying members of the Oath Keepers. In one social media post, the FBI said, Watkins pictured Crowl and called him “one of my guys.”

Stirring Footage From Inside Jan 6 Capitol Protest

Watch this footage taken by New Yorker reporter Luke Mogelson and ask yourself if, given the circumstances,  there’s anything at all to be ashamed about in the overall behavior of this crowd of anywhere from half a million to over a million.

I couldn’t have felt prouder watching this honest, courageous, self-restrained ground-swell of patriotic feeling and righteous indignation.

If this be insurrection, make the most of it. And count me right in as an insurrectionist.


The protestors for the most part are dressed in ordinary street wear, some wearing masks of the US flag, others carrying US or Trump flags. Inside the halls of Congress they chant, Protect your liberty, Protect the constitution and tell the guards they are there because Trump, the guards’ boss, wants them there. They thank the guards for letting them in. They chant “Whose house? Our house,” “It’s the people’s house, let the people in,” and similar stuff.

“Defend the constitution against enemies, foreign and domestic,” shouts another. They talk about it being a war.

They march through the halls, look around and ask where everyone is because there’s no one but police. The brave Congress critters are skulking under desks in safe spaces, instead of meeting their constituents.

When someone sits in the vice president’s chair, one of the leaders tells him he cannot and it is disrespectful. The fellow in the chair then asks, with splendid logic, why THEY can steal an election, but HE cannot sit in a chair. But he does get up.

The officers who let them in are thanked repeatedly and told that they are only doing their job and it’s appreciated. A leader calls out that this is hallowed ground, sacred, and deserves respect. Another protestor says, Now that we’re here, we might as well form a government.

One guy’s looking for anything in the papers left behind that can be used against these “scumbags,” a sentiment probably shared by around 100 million people, including this blogger.

Someone tells the rest to watch what they do, because it’s a PR war…there’s talk of an information operation.

The guy with the horns on his head, Qanon Shaman, bellows in the background high above the paper hunters at the desks. Someone says they’ve found papers showing that Cruz was going to object to Arizona’s objection…he was going to sell us out anyway..Then he seems to retract. Another person says, Cruz and Hawley would have wanted us to do this. Someone says, There are 4 million people coming, some have just not got there. Another refers to a million people.

Several men get up and invoke Jesus Christ’s name, asking for light and protection from heaven, thanking Him for giving them the opportunity to be heard in this place and for being able to take back the country from communists, globalists, and traitors.

Before leaving, one of the leaders wants a picture taken and asks permission from the guards to do it.

Then they leave through one entrance while Mogelson leaves through another, where he takes more footage, this showing a more boisterous side of things. People are scaling the walls, tearing off fabric high up, but are largely nonviolent, with lots of chanting: USA, USA, and I think, We want Trump.

The police start tasering and throwing smoke bombs and people shout, Is that all you’ve got? We’re coming for you…

Someone builds a gallows and starts shouting, We’re going to hunt each and everyone of you down. There are calls to fight at home, to protest in the state capitols and to organize. Better to die a free man, shouts one man, than on your knees. Someone uses a flagpole to smash what looks like suitcases or boxes and shouts about how the media wouldn’t be able to record that. Another man says CNN is hiding behind Union Station.

People shout Treason, treason, treason.