• A federal judge prohibited Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes from entering Washington, D.C., without prior court approval.
• This order follows President Trump's commutation of his 18-year sentence for his role in the January 6 Capitol attack.
• Seven other Oath Keepers convicted alongside Rhodes are also barred from the Capitol without permission.
• The Justice Department is challenging the judge’s authority to impose such restrictions after the commutation.
• Rhodes defended his actions during a visit to the Capitol shortly after his release.

A federal judge has imposed significant restrictions on Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the far-right Oath Keepers, barring him from entering Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Capitol without prior court approval. This ruling comes on the heels of President Donald Trump's recent commutation of Rhodes' 18-year prison sentence for his involvement in the January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta issued the order on Friday, shortly after Rhodes visited the Capitol where he met with lawmakers and defended his actions during the riot, which disrupted the certification of the 2020 presidential election.

The order also affects seven other Oath Keepers who were convicted for their roles in the violent attack on the Capitol, notably Kelly Meggs, Kenneth Harrelson, and Jessica Watkins, among others. This group has been expressly prohibited from entering federal grounds without first obtaining consent from the court.

Days after Trump's sweeping clemency announcement, which benefited approximately 1,500 defendants including those involved in the January 6 riots, Rhodes was seen near the Capitol, raising concerns among lawmakers regarding his potential threat to public safety and democracy. In his brief remarks upon his release, Rhodes insisted on his non-involvement in the violence, stating, “I didn’t go into the Capitol. I didn’t tell anybody else to go inside,” while attributing responsibility for the riot to the police.

However, the Justice Department, now led by acting U.S. Attorney Edward Martin, responded quickly to contest the judge's order. They argue that following Trump's commutation, Rhodes and his co-defendants no longer fall under the terms of supervised release, contending that this barrier to entry into Washington should be lifted. This dispute illustrates the complex relationship between the judicial and executive branches as they navigate the fallout from the Capitol insurrection and its aftermath.

The ongoing discourse on the authority of the court versus the presidential power of clemency lays bare the contentious nature of justice surrounding individuals involved in the Capitol riot, illuminating ongoing discussions about accountability in a democratic society. As updates unfold, concerns persist about Rhodes’ influence and the implications of his and the Oath Keepers' activities on American democracy.

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