An attorney representing the far-right Oath Keepers has pleaded guilty to charges related to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Kellye SoRelle, the group's former general counsel, admitted to obstructing justice and entering a restricted building or grounds. SoRelle, who was arrested in September 2022, is set to be sentenced on January 17.
SoRelle, 45, was deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial over a year ago but was later found fit to understand her charges. She faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years for the felony charge of obstructing justice, with sentencing guidelines suggesting a maximum of 16 months behind bars.
Founder of the Oath Keepers, Stewart Rhodes, is currently serving an 18-year prison term for his involvement in a plot to keep Donald Trump in the White House post the 2020 election. SoRelle had assumed the role of the group's president in Rhodes' absence.
Although SoRelle did not physically enter the Capitol on January 6, she acknowledged her role in delaying the certification proceedings. She was photographed with Rhodes outside the Capitol and was involved in encouraging the destruction of electronic evidence post the riot.
SoRelle's guilty plea did not include a conspiracy charge, despite being indicted for conspiring with Rhodes and other Oath Keepers to obstruct Congress from certifying the Electoral College vote.
In a separate development, an Illinois man, John Banuelos, is set to face trial on February 3 for firing a gun during the riot. Banuelos, who fired shots into the air outside the Capitol, was deemed a flight risk and a danger to the public by the presiding judge.
The judge highlighted the potential severity of the situation, emphasizing that the gunshots could have resulted in a more tragic outcome.
