Members of the Secret Service under Donald Trump were in direct contact with the leader of the Oath Keepers, Stewart Rhodes, for several months before the January 6th insurrection they helped instigate.
According to internal Secret Service emails acquired by watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a Secret Service agent described himself as “the unofficial liaison to the Oath Keepers (inching towards official)” and confirmed to other agents he was in contact with Rhodes.
Even worse, he passed along Rhodes’ cell phone number to other agents via email, explaining that the Oath Keepers wanted “to provide protection and medical attention to Trump supporters if they come under attack by leftist groups.”
The emails obtained by CREW as part of an ongoing public records request offer only a snapshot of the communication between the Oath Keepers and the Secret Service. As they focus solely on the time period around the Fayetteville event, the extent of the contact Stewart Rhodes had with the agency remains unknown. The agent “inching towards” being the “official” liaison for Oath Keepers suggests a more longstanding relationship with Rhodes.
Another Secret Service agent spoke to Rhodes and informed the other agents that “their desire is to assist those attending the event make it to and from their cars safely. They are NOT there to demonstrate or push a political agenda.” In October 2022, a former member of the Oath Keepers testified that Rhodes had spoken to the Secret Service to coordinate around the rally, but an agency spokesman told CNN that, “The US Secret Service doesn’t have enough information to say whether or not this call actually took place.” These emails show that it did.
Rhodes has since been convicted of seditious conspiracy and sentenced to 18 years in prison, but it is alarming that Secret Service members who are supposed to protect the President were so chummy with Oath Keepers.
Do you believe President Biden is well-protected by his current Secret Service agents, or does there need to be a complete “house cleaning” to ensure there are no more negative influences left over from Trump?
In September 2020, a Secret Service agent sent an email to others within the agency, informing them that he had just spoken to Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes about an upcoming visit by then-President Trump to Fayetteville, NC. The agent, who referred to himself as “the unofficial liaison to the Oath Keepers (inching towards official),” described the group as “primarily retired law enforcement/former military members who are very pro-LEO [law enforcement officer] and Pro Trump. Their stated purpose is to provide protection and medical attention to Trump supporters if they come under attack by leftist groups.” He went on to say that Rhodes, “had specific questions and wanted to liaison [sic] with our personnel” and shared Rhodes’s cell phone number.
Discover more from KossyDerrickent
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.