The Jan. 6 committee believes the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys may have worked together to coordinate the assault on the Capitol, according to new reports.
Leaders of the groups coordinated efforts to forestall certification of the 2020 election physically, according to evidence the committee uncovered during its investigation that included testimony and video of leaders from the two groups meeting before the riot.
On Wednesday, the panel heard testimony from filmmaker Nick Quested about communication between the leaders of the two groups, Save America rally organizers, and other political operatives, sources told the Guardian. Information gleaned from the testimony has been viewed by the committee as a significant breakthrough as it searches for links among organizers of the riot and the rally that preceded it, as well as any there might be to the White House, per the report.
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The Oath Keepers is a loosely organized group largely composed of former law enforcement and military personnel, according to the Justice Department. The Proud Boys describe themselves as a “pro-Western fraternal organization for men who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world.” Both groups have been key targets of the Justice Department and the Jan. 6 committee’s inquiries into the riot.
On Jan. 5, 2021, a “documentary film crew” was nearby when Oath Keepers leader Elmer Stewart Rhodes and Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio held a meeting for half an hour in a parking garage, the Justice Department revealed last month. But members of the Jan. 6 committee who reviewed footage of the meeting could not conclude the duo discussed the riot, harboring suspicions Tarrio may have had filmmakers nearby to exonerate himself.
Still, the committee reportedly believes it has accumulated a trove of evidence of coordination between the groups and has become increasingly interested in uncovering links between them and Jan. 6 rally organizers, including figures such as Ali Alexander and Alex Jones. Quested shot a video documenting Alexander’s activity near the Capitol, according to the outlet. Some of the rally organizers have been linked to the White House.
Federal prosecutors have slapped members of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys with seditious conspiracy and other charges for their actions during the riot. Tarrio was arrested last month and pleaded not guilty this week to charges related to Jan. 6, and members of the Oath Keepers stockpiled guns and other weapons in the days before the assault on the Capitol transpired, the Justice Department revealed in court filings.
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The panel is also reportedly mulling whether to pursue an interview with former President Donald Trump. So far, it has interviewed over 800 witnesses and amassed thousands of key documents. On Tuesday, lawmakers interviewed Ivanka Trump for several hours and previously interviewed her husband, Jared Kushner. Next month, the Jan. 6 committee is expected to commence public hearings for its investigation and has reportedly consulted outside talent to develop its final report.
A spokesperson did not respond to the Washington Examiner‘s request for comment.
