A federal judge on Monday lifted restrictions on Stewart Rhodes, the former leader of the far-right Oath Keepers, following his release after serving time for his involvement in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta issued the ruling after determining that the clemency granted by President Donald Trump to Rhodes and other co-defendants effectively voided their remaining court supervision, which included restrictions on visiting Washington, D.C.
Rhodes, along with seven other Oath Keepers, had been required to request court permission before entering Washington or the Capitol grounds, as part of a previous order issued on Friday. However, following the clemency, Judge Mehta removed these conditions. Rhodes, who had been spotted at the Capitol just days before the restrictions were imposed, was among nearly 1,600 individuals who received clemency from Trump after being charged in connection with the Capitol riot.
Rhodes and his co-defendants were convicted of seditious conspiracy for their roles in plotting to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power after Trump’s defeat in the 2020 election. Their actions on January 6 were seen as an attempt to violently overturn the results of the election.
A federal prosecutor appointed by Trump had urged the judge to lift the restrictions, arguing that the clemency order should extend to all terms of court supervision. The judge’s decision effectively restores Rhodes’ ability to freely enter the nation’s capital without prior approval, marking another shift in legal proceedings related to the January 6 incident.
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