Judge nixes Oath Keepers leader’s bid to delay Jan. 6 trial

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER
Associated Press

The high-profile seditious conspiracy trial for the leader of the far-right Oath Keepers extremist group will begin later his month after a judge rejected a last-minute bid by Stewart Rhodes to replace his lawyers and delay his Capitol riot case. Rhodes said in court papers this week there had been a “breakdown” in communication between him and his two lawyers, and he claimed his team wasn’t defending him forcefully enough. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta said Rhodes’ suggestion that his lawyers weren’t providing effective counsel appears to be “complete and utter nonsense.” The judge also questioned why concerns about the defense lawyers were surfacing for the first time just weeks before trial.