Jacob Vaughn
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Stewart Rhodes, founder of the far-right militia-style group Oath Keepers, who was convicted as a key figure in the Jan. 6, 2021, attacks on the U.S. Capitol, has sued USA Today and others for $25 million in damages for defamation.
In a civil complaint filed Wednesday with the U.S. District Court in Dallas, former Granbury resident Rhodes alleges that Gannett, which owns the paper, journalist Will Carless, and Rhodes’ ex-wife, Tasha Adams, conspired to defame him. He also claims they intentionally caused him emotional distress through the publication of an Oct. 28, 2024, article titled “Why a potential Trump win, Jan. 6 pardons have one family fearing for their lives.”
In the article, Rhodes’ ex-wife and the mother of their children alleges she was subjected to years of various forms of abuse and mistreatment by him during the time before and after he rose to prominence as head of the Oath Keepers following former President Barack Obama’s 2008 election. It was written by Carless, who has reported on stories related to the Jan. 6 Capitol breach that authorities at the time said was an attempt to prevent Congress from certifying the 2020 presidential election results. The article also includes quotes from Rhodes’ oldest son, who alleged that his father would have a “kill list” following his release from prison.
Also in the USA Today article, attorneys for Rhodes categorically denied all accusations made by Adams and their son against him. We reached out to Rhodes via email with questions about the lawsuit but did not receive a reply prior to publication.
In the filing, which lists Rhodes as his own legal representation with a North Texas address, Rhodes writes that he “is convinced that Will Carless, USA Today, and other media sought out Tasha Adams to bash Rhodes and thereby discredit conservatives and especially Donald Trump,” by using “over-the-top hostile and disparaging allegations” stemming from his divorce with Adams.
A representative from Gannett provided a statement to the Observer, saying, “We are aware of the lawsuit and plan to vigorously defend ourselves against the unsubstantiated claims made by the plaintiff.”
In the lawsuit, Rhodes describes the Oath Keepers as “an organization of military veterans, former police and former firefighters determined to continue to serve their communities by helping protect and aid civilians in natural disasters, such as hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes or the like.”
The Southern Poverty Law Center has a different definition of the group, noting on its website: “As part of the group’s mission, Oath Keepers have directed their recruiting effort toward members of the military, law enforcement and other public-safety positions. They are often confrontational and have participated in multiple armed standoffs against the government. The most recent is the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, when members of the group, including its leader, Stewart Rhodes, were arrested and accused of conspiring to oppose the presidential transfer of power by force.”
When Rhodes was found guilty of seditious conspiracy in 2022 and later sentenced to 18 years in prison, the second-longest sentence handed down to anyone connected to the Jan. 6 riots, Department of Justice investigators called the Oath Keepers “a large but loosely organized collection of individuals, some of whom are associated with miltias” and asserted that Rhodes and others plotted to “oppose by force the lawful transfer of presidential power.” Rhodes was not convicted of any violent offense during the insurrection, but was viewed by the DOJ as a key organizer of a plan that included a large cache of weapons at a Virginia hotel that would supply a “quick reaction force” if needed.
On Jan. 21 of this year, the day after his inauguration for his second term, Trump commuted Rhodes’ sentence, and he was released from federal prison. Almost everyone in prison for crimes related to the Jan. 6 riot at that time was released in quick order, with some receiving full pardons. After serving nearly two years of his sentence, Rhodes was not one of the pardoned, and that fact is brought up in the suit.
“President Trump commuted the sentences of about 12 January 6 Defendents instead of giving them full pardons,” the filing states. “Because of the Defendants’ falsehoods about the Plaintiff Rhodes, Rhodes received only a commuted sentence to “time served” not a pardon. As a result, Rhodes has been financially damaged in job prospects, reputation, and the ability to obtain recoveries from supporter donations.”
According to a speech Rhodes gave in July during an event for the conservative group True Texas Project, he is now working with a conservative advocacy group called Condemned USA. According to a Facebook post for the event, Condemned USA is “dedicated to defending constitutional rights and ensuring fair treatment for those facing political persecution.”
