Who Are The Oath Keepers? Militia Group, Founder Scrutinized In Capitol Riot Probe

In April of 2009, a bespectacled former Army paratrooper and Yale Law School graduate took the microphone at a small rally just outside of Boston to introduce his new self-styled militia.

"I'm Stewart Rhodes," he said. "And I'm the founder of Oath Keepers."

That event on Lexington Green served as a coming-out party for Rhodes and Oath Keepers, a group that touts itself as a defender of the rights of Americans from what it views as a tyrannical government.

Twelve years later, Rhodes and his group are under intense scrutiny for their alleged role in the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. At least a dozen members or associates of the Oath Keepers are facing conspiracy charges in connection with the siege, and court papers indicate that investigators are taking a close look at Rhodes himself.