Oath Keepers Leader Banned from D.C. Upon Release

Federal judge Amit Mehta has barred Stewart Rhodes, former leader of the Oath Keepers, from entering Washington, D.C. or the U.S. Capitol upon his release. Rhodes, among hundreds pardoned following the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, faces conditional release with strict geographic restrictions part of his sentence remission.

In a pivotal legal decision, a federal judge has prohibited Stewart Rhodes, the ex-leader of the far-right Oath Keepers, from entering Washington, D.C., including the U.S. Capitol, following his release from prison.

Rhodes was one of many Donald Trump supporters recently pardoned by the new president, after serving time for his involvement in the January 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection.

Enforcing stringent conditions, Judge Amit Mehta emphasized the necessity for the defendants to obtain prior court permission to enter the restricted areas, after Rhodes' 18-year sentence for plotting against the Congressional certification of Trump's election defeat was commuted.

(With inputs from agencies.)