Oath Keepers texted about protecting GOP Rep. Ronny Jackson during Capitol riot

(Image credit: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

published 19 April 2022

During the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, members of the Oath Keepers exchanged text messages about protecting Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) and the "critical data" he had with him, court documents filed on Monday state.

The Oath Keepers is a far-right extremist group, and its founder, Stewart Rhodes, and 10 other members have been charged with seditious conspiracy in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

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Jackson, who served as physician to the president under Barack Obama and Donald Trump, has denied being in contact with the Oath Keepers. In a statement, his spokesperson told CNN that "like many public figures, Rep. Jackson is frequently talked about by people he does not know. He does not know nor has he ever spoken to the people in question. In fact, he stayed behind with Capitol Police to help defend the House floor and was one of the last members to be evacuated."

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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