The arrest – made public a day after prosecutors revealed that they accused fellow Oath Keeper and Stone security guard Roberto Minuta of entering the Capitol – is the latest evidence that prosecutors are attacking the extremist group with important calls with the organizers of the pro-Trump “Stop the Steal” events. About a dozen Oath Keepers were charged among the more than 250 Capitol protesters identified by the authorities.
The archives also make no secret of the Oath Keepers’ connection to Stone, both linked to a New York Times article that described their connection to ally Trump in the days and hours before the Capitol siege. Before referring to this news article, the declaration used to obtain an arrest warrant for James, describes him as part of “a security team for a speaker at ‘Stop the Steal’ rallies and events.
Stone was not charged. He said he had no prior knowledge of the Capitol attack and did not leave his hotel in DC on January 6 until he left for the airport.
The initial charges against James are modest. He faces a single charge of obstruction from Congress, as well as charges of misdemeanor related to entering the Capitol without permission.
Minute was released on Monday by a federal judge in White Plains, NY. Although prosecutors have filed urgent appeals in other cases where magistrates have released defendants from the Capitol riot, there has yet to be any sign of such an effort in Minuta’s case.
A group of eight Oath Keepers were separately charged with conspiring to invade the Capitol and interrupt the counting of votes at the Electoral College. Prosecutors described the group as orchestrating an intricate military-style plan to converge on Washington and infiltrate the Capitol. Members of the alleged conspiracy spoke of a heavily armed “quick reaction force” stationed outside the boundaries of DC ready to supply weapons if the riot turned violent, but defense lawyers cast doubt on how much of their planning was just small talk and tough.