Legislature(2021 - 2022)GRUENBERG 120
02/10/2022 01:00 PM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentation: Oath Keepers Informational Hearing | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AND VETERANS' AFFAIRS
February 10, 2022
1:01 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Chris Tuck, Chair
Representative Andi Story
Representative Geran Tarr
Representative Matt Claman
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative George Rauscher
Representative Laddie Shaw
Representative David Nelson
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION: OATH KEEPERS INFORMATIONAL HEARING
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
ALEX FRIEDFELD, Investigative Researcher
Center on Extremism
Anti-Defamation League
New York, New York
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided a PowerPoint presentation,
entitled "The Oath Keepers."
JON LEWIS, Research Fellow
Program on Extremism
George Washington University
Washington, D.C.
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided a presentation about the role of
the Oath Keepers in the January 6, 2021, insurrection.
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:01:08 PM
CHAIR CHRIS TUCK called the House Special Committee on Military
and Veterans' Affairs meeting to order at 1:01 p.m.
Representatives Stori, Claman, and Tuck were present at the call
to order. Representatives Tarr arrived as the meeting was in
progress.
^Presentation: Oath Keepers Informational Hearing
Presentation: Oath Keepers Informational Hearing
1:01:58 PM
CHAIR TUCK announced that the only order of business would be
the Oath Keepers Informational Hearing presentation.
CHAIR TUCK explained this presentation is for informational
purposes only.
1:03:13 PM
ALEX FRIEDFELD, Investigative Researcher, Anti-Defamation
League, Center on Extremism, provided a PowerPoint presentation,
entitled "The Oath Keepers" [hard copy included in committee
packet]. He showed a photo taken at the U.S. Capitol on January
6, 2021, which shows men wearing helmets and tactical gear with
their hands on each other's shoulders in an organized, stacked
formation. His aim for the presentation was to trace the
history and ideology of the Oath Keepers who are a part of the
right-wing militia movement, which started in the 1990s and
consists of armed paramilitary groups with anti-government,
conspiracy-oriented, and extremist ideologies. They believe in
a conspiracy called the "New World Order," which is the idea
that the federal government has been co-opted to deny rights to
American citizens. They believe the government is using COVID-
19 pandemic responses to conspire against people and weaken them
for ultimate enslavement. There is an emphasis on gun ownership
and paramilitary training among militias to balance power. He
said militias are not inherently white supremacist.
MR. FRIEDFELD explained that the militia movement was formed in
response to the proliferation of "New World Order" conspiracies
that were fueled by the collapse of the Soviet Union, the
formation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA),
and skepticism around the United Nations. Militia proponents
used gun control legislation that started requiring background
checks in 1993-94 and events like "Ruby Ridge," and "Waco" to
urge the formation of new militias. Their growth was flagged
during the Bush Administration and surged again in 2008 with
fears of socialism after the election of President Obama. The
rise of social media created opportunities for militias to
network and recruit. The Three Percenter concept is the myth
that only three percent of colonists stood up against the
British and critically achieved liberty for everyone. By 2011,
there were likely over 100,000 militia followers across the
country. After President Trump took office, the militia pivoted
focus from the Federal Government and moved to different issues
like immigration, border control, targeting Muslims, and
opposing "ANTIFA." Focus was further shifted towards state and
local officials, particularly democrats.
1:13:06 PM
MR. FRIEDFELD said that under the Biden Administration, militias
have turned their attention to the Federal Government again by
framing the Biden Administration as illegitimate with intent
upon causing war with conservatives to destroy the country.
Criminality and violence have emerged from the militia movement.
MR. FRIEDFELD showed a photo on slide 10 of the "Wolverine
Watchmen" who allegedly plotted to kidnap Michigan governor,
Gretchen Whitmer, because they believed she was using the COVID-
19 pandemic to impose tyranny.
1:16:13 PM
MR. FRIEDFELD mentioned that the Oath Keepers share a
conspiratorial mindset with the rest of the militia movement.
What sets them apart is their focus on targeting current and
former military, law enforcement, and first responder personnel
with their messaging and recruitment. They are focused on
preventing what they claim are "unconstitutional orders." They
were founded in 2009 and led by disbarred former attorney
Stewart Rhodes. There is a national organization that sets
priorities, and there are also local and state chapters. There
are thousands of members across the country. Mr. Friedfeld
stated that it is deeply problematic that law enforcement and
military members are proud members of the Oath Keepers because
of security information concerns. Their membership greatly
undermines civilian trust in these institutions. The training
received by military and police makes them unique dangers in the
event that they decide to act, as seen on January 6, 2021.
1:20:35 PM
MR. FRIEDFELD showed slide 15, which details a declaration of
orders the Oath Keepers will not obey according to their
website. This declaration frames the government as an
inherently nefarious entity that can pursue courses of action
that would undermine the legitimacy of the government. The
final item on the list refers to a revolutionary spirit. Oath
Keepers have demonstrated their willingness to engage in
warfare, if need be, and frame the government as an entity
willing to enslave people. The Oath Keepers weaponize
patriotism by targeting the state. The Oath Keepers website
paraphrases the military's oath and omits language that refers
to obeying the orders of the President. They are attempting to
create an image that the Oath Keepers are the protectors and
defenders of the constitution, with some caveats to further
their agenda. The "Declaration of Orders We Will Not Obey" is a
primary document for the Oath Keepers and shows how they view
the government.
1:34:02 PM
MR. FRIEDFELD described how the Oath Keepers utilize patriotic
symbology and link their cause with the patriots of the 1700s.
Many members have been arrested for illegal activity such as
weapons violations and more serious crimes where small disputes
have escalated to levels of tyranny. They participated in an
armed standoff with federal agents at Bundy Ranch in Nevada in
2014. Other armed standoffs with federal officials occurred in
2015 in Oregon and Montana. They turned legal disputes into
armed standoffs and escalated danger for everyone involved. An
armed contingent showed up in Ferguson to protect citizens from
protesters against the wishes of local police. They have
insisted that democrats are trying to destroy Western
civilization by working with "ANTIFA" to impose a socialist
takeover.
1:47:46 PM
MR. FRIEDFELD said that in 2020, the Oath Keepers dramatically
escalated their conspiratorial rhetoric and increased their
activity. Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, became
more brazen in his actions which led to the January 6, 2021,
attack. They were active in opposing lockdown orders and "open
against government mandates." Stewart Rhodes escalated his
rhetoric and encouraged his followers to "stand up and defend
America from a violent leftist insurrection" enabled by internal
and external agents and intent on destroying the country. In
the wake of the 2020 Election, Mr. Rhodes called on President
Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act [of 1807] and call militias
into federal service to stop a Marxist insurrection carried out
by the "ANTIFA" and Black Lives Matter (BLM) movements. Rhodes
said that if President Trump fails to invoke the Act, "he will
place us in a situation we'll have to fight a bloody horrible
civil war." The Oath Keepers planned, shortly after the 2020
Election, to use force to oppose the transfer of presidential
power. In the year since the insurrection, the Oath Keepers
have been dealing with significant legal and public scrutiny.
Many are facing federal charges. The company hosting the Oath
Keeper message board removed it which made it difficult for the
community to connect online. Since then, the Oath Keepers have
not engaged in any notable, large-scale operations.
1:55:07 PM
MR. FRIEDFELD said that even after the insurrection, Stewart
Rhodes continued to insist that President Biden is a Chinese
puppet. He expressed his concern as a monitor of the Oath
Keepers online presence about the continued conspiratorial and
occasionally violent rhetoric they use. Some Oath Keepers
praise the attack and others have written it off as a false
operation conducted by leftist provocateurs.
1:59:25 PM
MR. FRIEDFELD said that election conspiracy holds strong power
for the Oath Keepers. They don't believe the 2020 Election was
fair despite audits that show that the 2020 Election had no
large-scale fraud. There hasn't yet been chatter about the 2022
Election.
MR. FRIEDFELD, in response to Representative Story, said that he
watched the online chats on January 6, 2021, as events unfolded,
and he noticed remarks in the Oath Keepers' chat saying that the
people storming the capital were "ANTIFA" or Black Lives Matter,
or some other provocateur. "Those aren't patriots, patriots
wouldn't do this." Rather than large scale condemnation or
denouncing the Oath Keepers' actions, more conspiracy was spun
to absolve themselves.
2:03:39 PM
CHAIR TUCK mentioned that the committee reached out to the Oath
Keepers organization and has not been able to make contact. A
response was received from Virginia Oath Keepers chapter leader,
Phil Nesbitt, who said he wasn't surprised the Oath Keepers had
not responded because the organization had been keeping a low
profile since the insurrection. Virgina Oath Keepers is a
separate organization from the Oath Keepers national
organization founded by Stewart Rhodes. Representative Tuck
pointed out that the Pennsylvania Oath Keepers wrote to say they
also have nothing to do with Stewart Rhodes. He said Alaska
doesn't appear to have an organized Oath Keepers office.
2:05:24 PM
CHAIR TUCK thanked Mr. Friedfeld.
2:05:28 PM
The committee took an at-ease from 2:05 to 2:06.
2:05:42 PM
JON LEWIS, Research Fellow, Program on Extremism, George
Washington University, described that his presentation is
narrowly focused and references the charging documents from the
U.S. Department of Justice and court records for individuals
charged for their alleged conduct on January 6, 2021. He
reported that 736 individuals have been charged so far for their
role in the events of January 6, 2021; 87 percent of them were
men. Evidence in large part came from social media. About 12
percent of the total in attendance had military training and
experience.
2:11:14 PM
MR. LEWIS explained that some of those charged for activities on
January 6, 2021, had arranged their own travel, planned to
attend a rally, and did not engage or conspire with others to
commit violent activity. "Organized clusters," often friends
and family, are individuals who shared belief and ideologies and
were brought to the Capitol to see the rally but did not engage
in violence. "Spontaneous clusters" are alleged to have engaged
with other like-minded individuals they didn't know personally
before the insurrection and committed egregious violent acts
against Capitol police using bear spray, mace, bats, shields,
batons, et cetera. The focus of today's briefing is the final
category defined as "militant networks" who are domestic,
violent extremists who are alleged to have travelled to the
Capitol under the direction of the networks they are a part of.
He said 55 individuals are currently thought to be part of those
militant networks, including 24 of the 26 Oath Keeper
defendants.
2:15:28 PM
MR. LEWIS discussed those who have been indicted and the various
charges against them. Some of the charges include seditious
conspiracy to prevent the lawful transfer of power. He gave a
disclaimer that every individual who has been charged is being
treated as innocent until proven guilty. He described four
categories of evidence. The first category includes public
statements by Stewart Rhodes that encouraged his followers
through calls to action on the Oath Keepers website that the
election is fraudulent and there is a need to mobilize at the
capital. The second category includes private communications
between Stewart Rhodes and other Oath Keepers. The third
includes actions taken by both Mr. Rhodes and the Oath Keepers
to stockpile firearms and equipment and provide weapons and
para-military training. The final category includes the alleged
activities of the Oath Keepers on January 6, 2021. Stewart
Rhodes allegedly began sharing information in an application
called "Signal" in a group chat, titled "Leadership Intel
Sharing Secured," and urged his followers to refuse to accept
the results of the Election and claimed, "We aren't getting
through this without a civil war; too late for that; prepare
your mind, body, and soul." On November 7, 2021, Mr. Rhodes
wrote in the leadership chat, "We must...march on mass to the
capital." On November 9, 2021, he appointed an operations
leader for his January 6, 2021, operation and outlined in a
virtual, members-only, Oath Keepers national call, his plan to
stop the lawful transfer of presidential power, including
preparing for the use of force.
2:27:53 PM
MR. LEWIS, in response to questions from the committee,
confirmed that there was a smaller group of invited members
among the Oath Keepers who were involved in the planning process
of January 6. The U.S. Department of Justice has narrowed the
scope of investigation into distinct categories, including
individuals who entered the Capitol Building and engaged in
violence, and those who played a significant role in the
conspiracies to date.
2:31:07 PM
MR. LEWIS discussed Thomas Caldwell, an Oath Keepers affiliate
who allegedly provided results of a lengthy reconnaissance trip
to Washington D.C. as part of the planning process for the
January 6, 2021, insurrection. A group of Florida Oath Keepers
held trainings on unconventional warfare. On December 11, 2020,
Stewart Rhodes allegedly communicated via group chat and said
that if President Biden assumed the presidency there would be a
"bloody and desperate fight...that cannot be avoided." Calls
for violence and organization continued to escalate through the
end of 2020.
2:35:16 PM
MR. LEWIS said that Mr. Rhodes continued to make public and
private claims that the use of force was required to stop the
transfer of presidential power. He is alleged to have purchased
tens of thousands of dollars' worth of firearms and equipment.
2:39:01 PM
MR. LEWIS detailed that on the days leading up to the
insurrection, Stewart Rhodes and key leaders met near Washington
D.C. in Virgina, stockpiled firearms for "quick reaction force,"
and created further detailed operational plans.
2:42:48 PM
MR. LEWIS stated that on January 6, 2021, Mr. Rhodes
communicated with his followers. Mr. Lewis gave a minute-by-
minute synopsis of the alleged communications and actions on the
day of the insurrection at the capital.
2:53:24 PM
MR. LEWIS said that the patriot militia movement has grown
beyond the Oath Keepers.
MR. LEWIS, in response to Representative Tarr, said that the
operations leader is either cooperating due to the threat of
charges against them, or the Department of Justice is waiting
for further evidence to bring charges against him. He reminded
the committee that Stewart Rhodes wasn't charged for over a
year. New cases are coming in regularly, about 200 so far that
are mainly low-level misdemeanor cases, many of which could
plead out for reduced sentences.
2:59:36 PM
CHAIR TUCK thanked the presenters and provided closing remarks.
3:01:07 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs meeting was
adjourned at 3:01 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Combating Terrorism Center at West Point Sentinel December 2021.pdf |
HMLV 2/10/2022 1:00:00 PM |
Oath Keepers Informational Hearing |
| ADL Friedfeld - The Oath Keepers 2.10.22.pdf |
HMLV 2/10/2022 1:00:00 PM |
|
| Role of the Oath Keepers in the January 6 Attack - Lewis Testimony 02.10.2022.pdf |
HMLV 2/10/2022 1:00:00 PM |