An attorney who served as general counsel for the extremist conservative group, Oath Keepers, which participated in storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, has pleaded guilty to charges pertaining to the riot, including members of the group.
Kelly SoRelle, 45, who represented Oath Keepers and is a close associate of its founder, was initially arrested in Junction, Texas, in September 2022. However, her case remained suspended for months due to questions surrounding her mental health.
In November 2023, she reported to a federal Bureau of Prisons facility for treatment after medical experts concluded that she was mentally unfit to stand trial. Last month, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled she had recovered to an extent to where she could understand the nature of her charges and assist in her defense.
On Wednesday, SoRelle pleaded guilty to a felony count of obstructing justice and a misdemeanor count of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds. The felony carries a maximum sentence of 20 years, but her estimated sentencing guidelines recommend a maximum of 16 months in prison.
Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the anti-government organization, is currently serving an 18-year prison sentence for orchestrating a plot to keep Donald Trump in the White House after the 2020 presidential election. Following Rhodes’ arrest, SoRelle told media outlets she would be acting as the president of the Oath Keepers in his place.
Founded by Rhodes, a former U.S. Army paratrooper, in 2009, the Oath Keepers recruits current and former military, police and first responders and pledges to “fulfill the oath all military and police take to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
SoRelle was photographed with Rhodes outside the Capitol on Jan. 6. As the riot ensued, she posted a chat message for other Oath Keepers that said, “We are acting like the founding fathers — can’t stand down. Per Stewart, and I concur.”
The night before the riot, SoRelle, who reportedly had a romantic relationship with Rhodes, joined him in meeting with other extremist group members in an underground garage in Washington, D.C.. The meeting also included former Proud Boys national leader Enrique Tarrio, who is serving a 22-year prison sentence for his role in a separate plot to stop the results of the 2020 election.
“Although SoRelle did not personally enter the Capitol Building on January 6, she understood the role those inside and outside the building, like herself, played in delaying the certification proceeding that had been taking place inside the Capitol,” said a court filing accompanying her guilty plea.
SoRelle, a former Texas prosecutor, is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 17 by Judge Mehta in Washington, D.C.. She was also indicted on the charge of conspiring with Rhodes and other Oath Keepers to obstruct Congress from certifying the Electoral College vote, but she did not plead guilty to this charge.
