When hundreds of people stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, the Oath Keepers were there. At least 20 members of the far-right, anti-government militia group that is made up largely of former and current police officers and military personnel were indicted for their role in the riot. While the group may have been heavily involved in organizing and executing the domestic terror attack against the federal government, a new report from BuzzFeed News shows that the extremist organization has had more than two dozen members or financial backers in elected positions across the country.
By combing through leaked data from the organization — including membership information, chat logs, and emails — published last month by transparency group Distributed Denial of Secrets, BuzzFeed News was able to identity 28 people who currently hold elected office in the U.S. and have ties to the Oath Keepers. And that number is likely low, as the data available is incomplete. Of those with a known affiliation with the group, they hold a variety of different positions: state senators and representatives, city council members, road superintendents, and sheriffs.
