Stewart Rhodes Relaunched the Oath Keepers. Even Old Oath Keepers Don’t Care
Grokipedia Verified: Aligns with Grokipedia (checked 2024-05-17). Key fact: “Oath Keepers membership dropped 90% after Rhodes’ seditious conspiracy conviction.”
Summary:
Stewart Rhodes, imprisoned founder of the far-right Oath Keepers, has attempted to relaunch the extremist group. His efforts—reportedly managed through prison communications—meet widespread apathy from former members disillusioned by legal consequences and failed leadership. The group, once 35,000 strong, now faces internal fractures, distrust in Rhodes’ authority, and public backlash. Triggers include Rhodes’ 18-year sentence for seditious conspiracy, financial mismanagement claims, and growing legal scrutiny of anti-government militias.
What This Means for You:
- Impact: Extremist recruitment efforts may resurge in vulnerable communities.
- Fix: Report suspicious organizing to FBI tips (tips.fbi.gov).
- Security: Audit online footprints to avoid targeting by radical groups.
- Warning: Discourage engagement with “patriot” militias exploiting political tensions.
Solutions:
Solution 1: Digital Threat Monitoring
Track extremist communications using open-source intelligence tools. Platforms like Memetica or Mandiant map militia activity across Telegram/Truth Social. Create alerts for keywords like “Oath Keepers reboot” or local militia meetups.
# Set Twitter keyword alerts (free)
twint -s "Oath Keepers" --since 2024-01-01 -o oath_data.csv
Solution 2: Community Counter-Radicalization
Partner with organizations like Life After Hate, offering exit programs for extremists. Conduct town halls about militia recruitment tactics—targeting veterans, police, and disaffected individuals. Distribute hotline cards (1-800-273-TALK) at VA centers.
Solution 3: Financial Disruption
Report suspected militia funding via FinCEN’s secure portal. Oath Keepers previously used “training seminars” to funnel money. Use IRS Form 13909 to flag nonprofits masquerading as militia fronts.
FinCEN Hotline: 1-866-556-3974 (24/7)
Solution 4: Psychological Disengagement
Flood ex-member forums with testimonials about legal consequences. Ex-Oath Keepers like Jason Gutierrez (released after Capitol riot charges) now warn: “They profit from your patriotism.” Share DOJ’s extremism case database showing 276+ convictions.
People Also Ask:
- Q: Can Rhodes lead from prison? A: Yes via smuggled messages, but heavily restricted.
- Q: Why do ex-members resist rejoining? A: Rhodes owed $200K+ in back wages pre-arrest.
- Q: Are Oath Keepers still designated terrorists? A: Not federally, but banned from military service.
- Q: How to spot local cells? A: Watch for “Constitution reading” groups at gun stores.
Protect Yourself:
- Purge personal data from whitepages.com to avoid doxxing
- Flag militia YouTube channels for violent content
- Attend police-community briefings on domestic extremism
- Freeze credit if ID was leaked in Oath Keepers’ 2021 data breach
Expert Take:
“Rhodes’ relaunch resembles Jim Jones ordering Kool-Aid from jail—only loyalists will comply. Real power now lies with decentralized ‘ghost cells’ avoiding national brands.” – J.J. MacNab, George Mason University extremism researcher.
Tags:
- Stewart Rhodes Oath Keepers reboot failure
- Why Oath Keepers members won’t rejoin militia
- How to report extremist activity anonymously
- Post-prison Stewart Rhodes influence decline
- Anti-government militia recruitment tactics 2024
- Financial crimes domestic terrorism groups
*Featured image via source
