Oath Keepers Freed by Trump Banned from DC and Capitol Grounds

A federal judge has slapped restrictions on several members of the far-right Oath Keepers group, barring them from entering Washington, DC, or the US Capitol grounds without court permission. This ruling comes just days after former President Donald Trump commuted their prison sentences for their role in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack. The judge’s order applies to Stewart Rhodes, the group's founder, and seven other members who had been serving time for seditious conspiracy. Stewart Rhodes, who was serving an 18-year sentence, was spotted on Capitol Hill after his release. He defiantly claimed that he had no regrets about his actions, insisting that the 2020 election was "stolen, illegal, and unconstitutional. " The Justice Department, in a surprising twist, is now defending the January 6 defendants. It argues that the travel restrictions are unfair since their sentences have been commuted. The interim US Attorney, Edward Martin, stated that if similar restrictions were placed on prominent figures like Jim Biden or General Mark Milley, many Americans would object. Martin contends that the commuted sentences void the travel restrictions, as the terms of supervised release are no longer applicable. The court's ability to modify these terms is also questioned in the brief filing.