Topline
Kellye SoRelle, a lawyer for the right-wing Oath Keepers militia, was arrested Thursday, according to multiple outlets, and charged with four counts, including conspiring to obstruct the joint session of Congress to certify election results on January 6, 2021, months after the group’s leader and several other members were also charged.
This image released by the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. … [+]
Key Facts
SoRelle, the general counsel for the Oath Keepers—a far-right anti-government militia that authorities allege played a central role in the Capitol riots—was also charged with obstruction of justice and entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, according to a court filing.
The militia’s lawyer—who appeared in videos with Oath Keepers ahead of the riots and was with the group’s founder and leader, Stewart Rhodes, outside the Capitol as rioters began to breach the building, according to the New York Times—is scheduled to appear in court in Austin, Texas, Thursday afternoon after she was arrested in Junction, Texas, CNN reported.
SoRelle has told reporters in recent months she has been cooperating with the Justice Department and has spoken with House January 6 committee investigators.
She did not respond to a request for comment from Forbes.
Key Background
SoRelle’s arrest comes eight months after Rhodes was charged with seditious conspiracy for his involvement in the riots in one of the most prominent arrests in the Justice Department’s probe into the insurrection. The DOJ charged 10 others with seditious conspiracy and other offenses, for which the defendants could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. SoRelle was not charged with seditious conspiracy. Authorities have alleged SoRelle was in a romantic relationship with Rhodes, an allegation she has disputed, according to the Times. She and Rhodes met with leaders of right-wing groups, including Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, the leader of the Proud Boys, in an underground parking garage on January 5. In July, the Oath Keepers and other extremist groups were featured in a public hearing held by the January 6 committee, which included testimony from a former Oath Keepers member, in which the panel aimed to prove the groups were linked to former President Donald Trump and his efforts to overturn the election. The DOJ has alleged two Oath Keeper affiliate groups breached the Capitol, and members organized ahead of the riots to travel to D.C. with weapons. Members of several other right-wing organizations, including the Proud Boys and the Three Percenters, have also been charged for involvement in the riots.
Big Number
At least 903 people. That’s how many have been arrested and charged with crimes in connection to the January 6 insurrection, according to a tracker updated by Insider this week.
Further Reading
Oath Keepers lawyer charged with obstruction in connection with January 6 (CNN)
Top Lawyer for Oath Keepers Is Arrested in Connection With Jan. 6 Attack (New York Times)
Seditious Conspiracy: DOJ Charges Oath Keepers Leader, 10 Others In Latest Jan. 6 Case (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/madelinehalpert/2022/09/01/oath-keepers-lawyer-arrested-on-january-6-related-charges/