on the capitol. it s the first time federal prosecutors have used the sedition charge after bringing more than 700 cases related to the insurrection. but prosecutors have long signaled that they were considering using the rarely applied section of federal law. rhodes is the most high-profile individual charged in the investigation so far. court documents filed today lay out a wide-ranging plot to storm the capitol and disrupt the certification of the 2020 election. two days after election day, rhodes allegedly urged his followers to refuse to accept the election results, writing in a signal message, we aren t getting through this without a civil war. according to federal prosecutors, on his way to d.c. on january 3rd, rhodes allegedly bought an a.r. platform rifle and other firearms equipment, including sights, mounts, triggers, slings, and other firearms attachments in texas. the next day, he allegedly
bought more firearms equipment in mississippi. rhodes, a former army paratrooper who went on to earn a law degree from yale, did not enter the capitol on january 6th, but video captures oath keepers wearing military gear forcing their way into the building in a military stack formation. in this clip, you can see a group of oath keepers very close to the capitol doors, breaching the building. and here, members inside the capitol rotunda, including jessica watkins, who was among those charged today with seditious conspiracy. we re in the [ bleep ] capitol. reporter: the new indictment also reveals the group allegedly had quick reaction forces from three states arizona, north carolina, and florida, to rush into d.c. if needed. according to court documents, oath keeper thomas caldwell, arrested in january, claimed that he took a reconnaissance trip to d.c. prior to the insurrection. and prosecutors say rhodes was planning for violence well
stationed outside the city in qrf teams and the qrf teams, that s quick reaction forces, the qrf teams were prepared to rapidly transport firearms and other weapons into washington, d.c. in support of the operations aimed at using force to stop the lawful transfer of presidential power. the qrf teams were coordinated in part by two people, whose last names are caldwell and vallejo, further, and this is these are the accusations against stewart rhodes. he s an important figure because he s the head of the oath keepers. sara is the expert on that. i ll let her go into more detail there, but the indictment accuses rhodes of this, sending messages encouraging use of force to oppose the lawful transfer of power, allegedly spending thousands of dollars on firearms equipment, en route to washington, and he and other co-conspirators allegedly met in virginia to celebrate the attack and discuss next steps. the key detail there is that this wasn t supposed to end on
spending thousands of dollars buying firearms equipment along the way. then we get to january 6th, and after several members allegedly breached the capitol, they apparently celebrated that night at a virginia restaurant and discussed some next steps. rhodes was the one leading this call, and prosecutors say after january 6th, he spent more than $17,000 in weapons. they say he was ready for more violence, and he called for his members to organize local militias to oppose the biden administration. so you know, victor and alisyn, all of these allegations for these eleven defendants, they are carefully laid out in what is a lengthy and jam packed 48 page indictment, and what s clear here is that the justice department, and we have seen it in court filings preceding this, they have been working methodically getting some of these oath keeper members to cooperate, and they have shared encrypted messages to illuminate and spell out this plot. the question is moving forward, you know, will stew
followers to refuse to accept the election results, writing in a signal message, we aren t getting through this without a civil war. according to federal prosecutors, on his way to d.c. on january 3rd, rhodes allegedly bought an ar platform rifle and other firearms equipment with sights, mounts, trigger, slings, and other firearms attachments in texas. the next day he allegedly bought more firearms equipment in mississippi. rhodes, a former army paratrooper, who went on to earn a law degree from yale, said he did not enter the capitol on january 6th, but video captures other oath keepers wearing military gear, forcing their way into the building in a military stacked formation. they were highly organized groups who were exploiting the chaos of that day. reporter: the new indictment also alleges the group had quick reaction forces from three states arizona, north carolina, and florida to rush into d.c. if needed. according to court documents, oath keeper thomas cold wealth