Oath Keepers Infiltrating State/Local Governments

The so-called Oath Keepers, a violent militant group on the far right, were present and prominent in the insurrectionist attack on the Capitol on January 6. Some of their key members are under investigation by Federal authorities for their possible role in organizing the seditionist riot, in addition to many being arrested for their crimes that day. The estimated 35,000 members of the group are pledged to impose their far-right ideology on the rest of the country, and they're pursuing political office (as Republicans, of course) to do just that.

ProPublica is reporting that members of Oath Keepers are becoming a force in the Republican / Trumpist / Seditionist party. Obtaining a list of the group's members from whistleblower organization Distributed Denial of Secrets, ProPublica identified 47 members of the radical group in positions from state lawmakers to a New Jersey town's head of public works:

"ProPublica identified [North Carolina state Rep. Mike] Clampitt and 47 more state and local government officials on the list, all Republicans: 10 sitting state lawmakers; two former state representatives; one current state assembly candidate; a state legislative aide; a city council assistant; county commissioners in Indiana, Arizona and North Carolina; two town aldermen; sheriffs or constables in Montana, Texas and Kentucky; state investigators in Texas and Louisiana; and a New Jersey town’s public works director.

ProPublica’s analysis also found more than 400 people who signed up for membership or newsletters using government, military or political campaign email addresses, including candidates for Congress and sheriff, a retired assistant school superintendent in Alabama, and an award-winning elementary school teacher in California."

In addition, the Oath Keepers have as a priority the recruitment of current and former law enforcement and military personnel. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks violent domestic groups who traffic in hate, has a useful profile of the Oath Keepers, including this chilling information:

"The Oath Keepers mission is to influence its members to obey the group’s own interpretation of the Constitution, even if it means disobeying the orders of their commanders, U.S. lawmakers or judges. The organization has published a list of 10 orders they refuse to obey, including disarming the American people or detaining them as unlawful enemy combatants."

This dangerous lawless group is a threat to public safety and to our democratic republic. Their "interpretation of the Constitution" suggests that, given the opportunity, they'd impose their beliefs on us at the point of a gun. This is domestic terrorism, pure and simple.

(photo: Oath Keepers at Capitol riot. Jim Bourg/Reuters)