Justice Department Appeals Short Prison Sentences for Oath Keepers in Jan. 6 Attack

The Justice Department plans to appeal the prison sentences of Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers, and other members involved in the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol because the terms were not as long as what prosecutors had sought. Rhodes received an 18-year sentence for seditious conspiracy, which was less than the 25 years requested by the Justice Department. This move by the prosecutors is unusual, as it is more common for defendants to appeal their sentences. The announcement comes after a rare setback in a related case, where a former Oath Keeper was acquitted of conspiring with the extremist group to obstruct Congress in the Capitol attack.