The US Department of Justice (DOJ) stated in a court filing Thursday that a leader of the Oath Keepers, a paramilitary group, believed she was responding to a call from former president Donald Trump to stop the certification of the election results on January 6.
Prior to and after losing the presidential election, Trump sewed doubts about the legitimacy of the election, further perpetuating lies about widespread voter fraud, not only at his rallies but also in his court filings. As a result, Trump’s followers believed it was their duty to prevent the inauguration of Joe Biden, as they were the last line of defense. The leader of the Oath Keepers issued the following call to all members: “it is critical that all patriots who can be in DC get to DC to stand tall in support of President Trump’s fight to defeat the enemies foreign and domestic who are attempting a coup, through massive vote fraud and related attacks on our Republic.”
The DOJ’s memorandum indicates that Jessica Watkins is a military veteran and a Commanding Officer of the Oath Keepers. She considered “the prospect of a Biden presidency an existential threat.” As a result, she sought to recruit new militia members. In the weeks leading up to the Inauguration, Watkins indicated that she was awaiting direction from Trump, stating that “unless the POTUS himself activates us, it’s not legit. If Trump asks me to come, I will.” On January 6, Watkins and other member of the Oath Keepers stormed the Capitol, wearing combat helmets, bullet-proof vests, gloves with knuckle protection and radios. In fact, she confirmed that she entered the Capitol on January 6 by posting a picture of herself on Parler, with the caption, “Me before forcing entry into the Capitol Building.”
The memorandum further states:
Watkins was and remains a leader within the broader militia movement. Her texts reveal her extensive efforts to recruit individuals to her militia group and to participate in the January 6 insurgency. Her efforts were successful in recruiting at least two people to attend. Watkins was also responsible for training recruits to get them in “fighting shape” for the inauguration. For individuals interested in attending the events of January 6th, Watkins also coordinated vetting to help ensure the right people were affiliating with The Oath Keepers. There is evidence, too, that she was involved in planning for January 6 on national leadership calls, disseminating those plans, and coordinating travel and lodging with other Oath Keeper members that planned to come to Washington D.C. from Ohio and other parts of the country. Watkins was thus not an ancillary player who become swept in the moment, but a key figure who put in to motion the violence that overwhelmed the Capitol.
Thus far more than 200 people have been charged in connection with the violent attack on the Capitol on January 6.
