At least one member of Congress met with Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes on the Hill on Monday.
The Jan. 6 rioter — whose 18-year sentence for seditious conspiracy was commuted by Donald Trump this week — was spotted on Capitol Hill, doing a media tour and lobbying for the release of the few remaining rioters not yet released.
Rhodes told reporters he met with Florida Rep. Gus Bilirakis on behalf of Jeremy Brown, an Oath Keeper and Jan. 6 rioter who is serving a seven-year prison sentence for charges of possessing unregistered guns, improper storage of grenades and keeping classified information, according to the Middle District of Florida attorney’s office.
Bilirakis’ office confirmed the lawmaker “met with Jeremy Brown’s mother and girlfriend. Mr. Rhodes joined them,” his office told NOTUS.
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Oath Keepers is a far-right militia group that has actively recruited police officers and veterans to its ranks. Prosecutors cited messages Rhodes sent saying, “We are not getting through this without a civil war,” and threats to “hang” Nancy Pelosi during his trial.
“The United States proved at trial that the Oath Keepers plotted for months to violently disrupt the peaceful transfer of power from one administration to the next,” then-Attorney General Merrick Garland said after Stewart’s conviction in 2023.
Rhodes said Bilirakis was one of the members of Congress “that has expressed interest in addressing the fact that Jeremy Brown has yet to be released.”
Rhodes also told reporters he is trying to meet with members that are also Green Berets, like Texas Rep. Keith Self, and said he plans to meet with Reps. Eli Crane and Lauren Boebert.
Boebert’s office told NOTUS Wednesday, “We’re not aware of any formal meeting request from Mr. Rhodes and the Congresswoman and our office have no plans to meet with him. She has no recollection of ever meeting with him previously.”
The other offices did not respond to a request for comment.
“Eventually we’re going to communicate with the entire conference,” Ivan Raiklin, a far-right figure who was accompanying Rhodes, said.
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Claire Heddles and John T. Seward are NOTUS reporters and an Allbritton Journalism Institute fellows.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
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