Jan. 6 Committee reveals encrypted messages between Oath Keepers and Trump associates
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MA) revealed on Tuesday that there were encrypted communications between associates of then-President Donald Trump and the Oath Keepers prior to the violence on Jan. 6, 2021.
During a Jan. 6 Committee hearing, Raskin said that both Roger Stone and former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn had interacted with the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys. Stone is a longtime adviser for Trump.
"Encrypted chats obtained by the select committee show that Kelly Meggs, the indicted leader of the Florida Oath Keepers spoke directly with Roger Stone about security on Jan. 5th and 6th," Raskin said.
The presentation included unencrypted messages between Stone and Meggs.
"On Jan. 6, Stone was guarded by two Oath Keepers who have since been indicted for seditious conspiracy," Raskin explained.
The evidence showed that the Oath Keepers were "ready to use lethal force" to stop Trump from being removed from the White House, Raskin said.
Raskin also highlighted Stone's connections to the Proud Boys that go back "many years."
"He's even taken their so-called fraternity creed," the lawmaker observed.
University of Illinois Professor Nicholas Grossman said that the presentation made the case for seditious conspiracy.
"Oath Keepers encrypted chat logs—involving leader Stewart Rhodes, and showing clear links to Roger Stone—not only indicate that the case for seditious conspiracy is very strong, it's one of the most direct looks into people planning an act of political violence I've ever seen," he wrote on Twitter.