used seditious conspiracy law fol followed months of work by the phish and investigators and prosecutors to build a case focused not the only on the events of january 6. some federal prosecutors wanted to bring these seditious conspiracy charges more than nine months ago. but attorney general merrick garland has some qualms about whether the case was ready to bring. sources told cnn, in the months since, investigators gathered information from cooperators and encr encrypted communications among some of the oath keepers, a right wing extremist group. the charges in thursday s indictment against the oath keepers founder stewart rhodes and ten others provide details that was a conspiracy went beyond impeding the certification of the vote and went so far as to plotting to block president joe biden from taking office. now a key piece of the alleged conspiracy prosecutors say is in the indictment was, quote, continuing to plot after january
reporter: thomas lane and alex koenig were relatively new to the minneapolis police department and on duty for less than a week when floyd was killed. lane will testify in his defense. it is unclear whether this two other officers or derek chauvin will testify during this trial. o donnell: thank you. washington is buzzing over the bombshell announcement on face the nation that the trump administration had a plan that would have authorized the department of defense to seize voting machines in several battle grounder mistakes. scott macfarlane has that. reporter: in plano texas at the courthouse prosecutors accused oath keepers stewart rhodes. the alleged coordinator of the suit of the capitol the cooperating with the january 6th committee making him the latest key figure to do
the world. we re getting new details from the commander in chief on what could trigger a u.s. top deployment as top pentagon officials brief capitol hill today. the state department briefing when the news conference starts with our teams standing by here in washington and around the world. also this hour the biggest names in the january 6th investigation entering not guilty pleas including the head of the oath keepers stewart rhodes. what else happened in federal court and inside congressional investigation. jamie raskin a member of the select committee is here live with us one on one in a couple minutes. i m hallie jackson in washington along with other nbc news team to start us off. peter alexander at the white house, courtney at the pentagon, garrett haake at capitol hill and matt bradley in kiev. let me slew blanket apology in case i have to interrupt any of you. we want to hear from that end of washington on the latest.
with someone let conservative but who backed the big lie. this is all about fealty to trump. as this vote is coming from a place of maga fear and confusion. trump s sway over the gop suddenly looking less certain. the new york times reporting on the grip over the gop facing strains. while also noting his ongoing power offer the base, a massive war chest, eclipsing the rnc. there is in fighting among republicans and that is the context to get more extreme in actions like expelling kinzinger and cheney. last night i spoke to the estranged wife of stewart rhodes to discuss her husband s evolution into trump cult follower. you envisioned the only keepers as a cigar club of like-minded libertarians. what changed. there was a lot in the ron
illegitimate president. i understand, michelle, the perceived need to reach out to the maga base. that seems like an unnecessary step too far, right. to go after bide an in that way. is that really what is necessary for republicans to win at this point? i don t know if it is what is necessary tor republicans to win but i think that it is what a big part of the base wants to hear. and what we re asking here, i think, is how big of a party the base, not just wanted to hear that, but really needs to hear that. and i think the outcome of the primaries will tell us that. michelle, i mentioned oath keepers stewart rhodes getting radicalized and we spoke to his ex-wife last night. they started at this libertarian cigar club for men and get together and talk about libertarianism, and it becomes the oath keepers, is he a