U.S. House Jan. 6 committee investigated four Texas conservative figures, transcripts reveal

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WASHINGTON — The U.S. Home committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol launched a trove of interview transcripts Wednesday from its probe, together with testimonies from 4 Texas conservative figures.

The Texans embody the chief of a right-wing militia who was not too long ago discovered responsible of seditious conspiracy, a state Senate candidate and shut political allies of former President Donald Trump, together with radio host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

Most of these interviewed refused to reply questions. Stewart Rhodes, founding father of the right-wing Oath Keepers militia, provided intensive accounts about his group’s actions in Texas however declined to reply most questions in regards to the lead-up to the Jan. 6 Capitol assault.

The transcript launch adopted the committee’s last listening to Monday, when it really helpful that the Justice Division criminally prosecute Trump, his authorized adviser John Eastman and different unnamed figures they are saying incited the riot and sought to undermine the 2020 presidential election’s certification, regardless of realizing that there was no widespread voter fraud. The costs included obstruction of an official continuing, conspiracy to defraud america authorities, conspiracy to make a false assertion and serving to these concerned in an rebellion.

The committee’s suggestion is essentially symbolic; the Justice Division has the ultimate say in the way it conducts its felony investigations. The committee nonetheless plans to launch its full report later this week.

Rhodes, who lived in Granbury, was discovered responsible final month of seditious conspiracy and obstructing an official continuing, amongst different expenses. Prosecutors mentioned Rhodes and different members of the Oath Keepers deliberate to carry weapons to the capital through the Jan. 6 rally, and that Rhodes had advised members in regards to the want for violence.

“We’re not getting via this with out a civil conflict,” Rhodes advised followers after the 2020 election. “Put together your thoughts, physique and spirit.”

The Oath Keepers, which Rhodes based in 2009, is an extremist right-wing group that rails in opposition to giant authorities and mainstream conservatism. It has 1000’s of members, most of them former army members, unfold all through the nation.

Rhodes’ testimony shed new gentle on the membership of the Oath Keepers: At its peak a couple of years in the past, Rhodes advised the committee, the Oath Keepers had roughly 40,000 dues-paying members — roughly 20% of whom he mentioned labored in legislation enforcement. Rhodes named Hood County Constable John Shirley as one member. Shirley reportedly served because the group’s Texas chapter president and was with the group for greater than 10 years. Shirley mentioned he left the group in 2020.

Throughout his interview, Rhodes mentioned he was persecuted by the federal government and in contrast himself to a Jew dwelling in Nazi-era Germany.

He additionally spoke of assembly Kellye SoRelle, a Granbury legal professional who later represented the Oath Keepers, at a neighborhood protest over COVID-19 restrictions. SoRelle was arrested in Junction in September after being indicted on expenses of destroying and hiding potential proof associated to the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol and conspiracy to impede Congress’ certification of President Joe Biden’s win, amongst different expenses.

SoRelle is amongst not less than 75 Texans who’ve been charged with crimes associated to the rebellion, in response to NPR. Amongst them: Wylie resident Man Reffitt, who prosecutors allege “lit the match” of the riot on the Capitol. He was sentenced in August to greater than seven years in jail.

One other Texan charged for a task within the rebellion, Garret Miller of Richardson, mentioned he was motivated to carry a gun to the Capitol due to Trump. “I believed I used to be following the directions of former President Trump and he was my president,” Miller mentioned, in response to an govt abstract of the Jan. 6 committee’s last report that was launched Monday. “His statements additionally had me believing the election was stolen from him.”

Eastman’s testimony was included among the many transcripts launched Wednesday, which present he was requested if he had ever clerked for U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. Whereas he answered that he had, he pleaded the Fifth Modification to virtually all different questions, together with whether or not he had had any communications with Cruz on “efforts to alter the result of the 2020 election.” Eastman additionally declined to reply when requested if Cruz and U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, have been invited to talk on the “Cease the Steal” rally, which Trump held simply earlier than rioters stormed the Capitol.

Jones, who is predicated out of Austin, performed a significant position in spreading misinformation in regards to the “Cease the Steal” motion to overturn the 2020 election. Jones sought immunity from federal prosecutors investigating the Capitol riot previous to the committee’s subpoena.

In his interview, he pleaded the Fifth for each query however one. Jones was requested a couple of dialog he had with former Trump adviser and Republican strategist Roger Stone concerning the group and funding of the “Cease the Steal” rally. He responded by criticizing U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-California, saying he “forges paperwork,” earlier than his lawyer intervened.

Stone was a paid host on Infowars, one among Jones’ reveals, in 2015. Stone linked Jones with Trump for an Infowars interview in December 2016.

One other one of many Texas witnesses, James P. Waldron, who goes by Phil, is a Dripping Springs resident and retired Military colonel who specialised in data warfare, and who reportedly spoke to White Home Chief of Workers Mark Meadows quite a few instances after the 2020 election. In accordance with his LinkedIn profile, Waldron served within the U.S. Military from 1986 to 2017. In 2007, he based One Warrior Any Weapon, a Dripping Springs-based fight and defensive coaching enterprise.

Waldron declined to reply many of the committee’s questions.

Waldron beforehand claimed to have visited the White Home on a number of events after the election, and he advised The Washington Submit that he spoke with Meadows “perhaps eight to 10 instances.” He additionally reportedly briefed a number of members of Congress on election fraud theories and created a PowerPoint presentation that was “given to, or described for,” Republican members of Congress on the eve of Jan. 6. The 38-page PowerPoint presentation, titled “Election Fraud, International Interference, & Choices for six JAN,” reportedly included plans for declaring a nationwide safety emergency and the seizure of paper ballots.

Waldron was additionally reportedly on the Willard Lodge in Washington in early January 2021.

“Mr. Waldron reportedly performed a task in selling claims of election fraud and circulating potential methods for difficult outcomes of the 2020 election. He was additionally apparently in communication with officers within the Trump White Home and in Congress discussing his theories within the weeks main as much as the January sixth assault,” Rep. Bennie Thompson, who chairs the choose committee, mentioned in a press release final 12 months. “The doc he reportedly supplied to Administration officers and Members of Congress is an alarming blueprint for overturning a nationwide election.”

Among the many witnesses on the “Cease the Steal” rally in Washington, D.C., was Bianca Gracia, the pinnacle of Latinos for Trump. Gracia helped manage the rally simply earlier than the violent mob stormed the Capitol. She additionally helped fundraise for Trump’s reelection marketing campaign as the manager director of a political motion committee focusing on Latino voters.

Federal prosecutors launched video earlier this 12 months exhibiting Gracia assembly with Proud Boys chief Enrique Tarrio and Rhodes earlier than the rally.

Gracia, a Houston resident, went on to run unsuccessfully to symbolize Texas’ eleventh Senate District. She misplaced the 2022 Republican major race to Texas Rep. Mayes Middleton, who gained the seat after the final election was canceled. Gracia pleaded the Fifth Modification to just about all questions apart from the place she lived.