— Washington A former Oath Keeper testified in court on Monday that he and other members of the far-right militia traveled to Washington, D.C. in advance of the peaceful transition of power on January 6, 2021.
Graydon Young, a Florida man who pleaded guilty to conspiracy and is cooperating with the federal investigation into the breach before he is sentenced, told a jury in Washington, D.C., on Monday that he and other Oath Keepers, including those currently on trial for seditious conspiracy, had a “implicit agreement” to oppose what they viewed as “corrupt elements” of the U.S. government that day.
Young stated under cross-examination that, despite the widespread belief he portrayed, the Oath Keepers in the Capitol on January 6 did not openly plan to breach the building, agreeing with a defense attorney that the breach was more “spontaneous” than deliberate.
Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and co-defendants Kelly Meggs, Jessica Watkins, Kenneth Harrelson, and Thomas Caldwell are currently on trial for multiple crimes stemming from their alleged planning and coordination of a conspiracy, according to prosecutors, to prevent the peaceful transfer of power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden.
Young stated that there was no clear plan to break into the Capitol; however, he and three other defendants who entered the Capitol viewed themselves as participants in a “Bastille-like moment,” a “momentous” event in the history of a developing revolution.
Under direct examination by prosecutor Jeffrey Nestler, he stated that the breaking of the Capitol building presented a “opportunity” to obstruct Congress, which was the objective of the conspiracy.
Young claimed that he joined the Oath Keepers after the 2020 election at the urging of his sister, who is also a Jan. 6 defendant, because he believed rallies against the election results to be useless and the organization to be “an effective method to get active.”
Monday, Young testified, “I became really agitated and emotionally immersed in the proceedings.” He claimed he spent too much time online, began focusing more on unfounded allegations of election fraud than on his own family, and the Oath Keepers appeared to share his perspective.
“Trump was different,” he argued, and “something more” than peaceful protest was required for their election concerns to be addressed.
Young testified during cross-examination that he did not attend many Oath Keepers activities. During his membership, he engaged in one security detail for Trump associate Roger Stone, according to him. Attorneys for the defense stated that their clients were primarily in the D.C. region on January 6 to give similar security and safety support to prominent rally attendees.
Before the attack, he was only familiar with the defendants on trial by their so-called “call signs,” according to his testimony. Young also stated that he was unfamiliar with the military-style “stack” that prosecutors claim the Oath Keepers used to infiltrate the Capitol during the breach.
Young stated that he originally felt “energized” by the events of January 6, but then entered “panic mode” and joined his sister in destroying their Oath Keeper gear and deleting messaging applications out of fear of being investigated.
Youg stated that his plea agreement in 2021 obliged him to speak the complete truth when asked about January 6, and he admitted under questioning from defense attorneys that part of the reason for his candid testimony on Monday was to convince prosecutors to suggest a lesser jail term.
Young told the jury he was “fully and completely” acknowledging his conduct that day, and subsequently stated he now considers himself a “traitor” to his own government.
Young was not the first Oath Keeper present on January 6 to testify against the defendants in the prosecution for seditious conspiracy. Jason Dolan, who was also a cooperating witness, told the jury earlier this month that members of the group had to be willing to fight back against an illegitimate administration and support the president they believed to be the real one.
“We were planning for a journey to Washington, D.C., and if necessary, we would pick up arms and fight back,” Dolan recounted.
The prosecution asserts that the defendants planned their activities, gathered firearms, and attempted to use force to impede the legitimate operation of the government.
The jury also heard testimony from U.S. Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, who confronted some Oath Keepers defendants on January 6 within the Capitol. In various exhibits shown to the jury, rioters could be seen standing near or, in some instances, far from Dunn.
Attorneys for the defense have contended that Dunn told the FBI that these rioters, including some Oath Keepers, defended him from portions of the mob that day and did not contribute to the turmoil inside, as prosecutors claim.
On Monday, however, Dunn reported that none of the Oath Keepers attempted to assist him, and a separate group wearing identical attire separated him from the crowd at a different place.
Dunn stated that he told the group allegedly included Meggs and Harrelson, “We have scores of officers down.” You wish to murder everyone.
However, defense attorneys questioned Dunn’s recollection, asking if he might have confused the two events at issue, but the cop – who has testified in the past about the stress he endured on that day – claimed that he had not. He informed the jury that the only thing that would have helped at the time would have been if the rioters had completely evacuated the premises.
Monday, prosecutors stated that they have a handful of witnesses left before presenting the defense’s case. Attorneys for the defense stated that Rhodes, who just recovered from a COVID illness that delayed the trial, plans to testify in his own behalf.
Assault On The United States Capitol