Oath Keeper charged in Capitol riots was ‘preparing for literal war,’ feds say
A member of the far-right paramilitary group the Oath Keepers who’s been charged with conspiring to storm the Capitol was ready “for violence” during the deadly riot and had plans for a “further insurrection,” federal prosecutors said Friday.
“The plan was never for peaceful protest,” a Virginia prosecutor said during a detention hearing for Donovan Crowl, a former U.S. Marine. “The Oath Keepers arrived in D.C. prepared for violence.”
Crowl, 50, is one of three members of the right-wing group who’ve been charged with conspiring to disrupt the congressional session to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral victory. Thomas Edward Caldwell, 65, an apparent leader of the Oath Keepers, and Jessica Watkins, a 38-year-old Army veteran, have also been charged with conspiracy. All three have since been ordered held without bail. [Continue reading…]