Defense lawyers in riot trial allege sedition in January

Defense lawyers, arguing in federal court in Washington, said the government had exaggerated its depiction of people who went to Washington to help with public security.

The prosecution lacked proof of the charges when they cherry-picked a number of inflammatory text messages from thousands.

Rhodes' lawyer, Phillip Linder, said the group went to Washington on January 6 to provide security for Trump's speech and other pro-Trump events.

The Oath Keepers are a peacekeeping force, according to Linder.

He said that the real evidence is going to show that our clients were there to do security for events scheduled for the 5th and 6th of January 2021, as well as the events that were scheduled for the 5th and 6th of January 2021.

David Fischer, attorney for Thomas Caldwell, one of the four Oath Keepers charged in the case, said this is the biggest bait-and- switch in the history of the American justice system.

Caldwell was the Oath Keeper who prepared a heavily armed but never-mobilised rapid reaction force positioned just outside Washington on the day of the insurrection.

Fischer said Caldwell never entered the Capitol and never attacked anyone.

The attorney claimed that he went to Washington DC on a date with his wife.

The trial was the first in hundreds of cases from the Jan 6 riot to make use of the rare charge of seditious conspiracy.

It is a gamble for the Justice Department, which wants to underscore the seriousness of the event, in which Trump supporters tried to prevent Biden from becoming the victor in the November 2020 presidential election.

The government has reserved sedition for just a handful of attackers, mostly members of self-styled militia groups like the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys who allegedly planned and coordinated the assault, out of 870 people charged so far. Three other Oath Keepers leaders are on trial with Rhodes: Kelly Meggs, Jessica Watkins, and Kenneth Harrelson. Another four will be involved in a separate trial.