The ex-wife of imprisoned Oath Keeper leader Stewart Rhodes was ecstatic to hear the news that her husband will be locked up for the next 18 years.
Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years in prison for seditious conspiracy, marking the harshest sentence handed down thus far to a January 6 defendant.
Tasha Adams, 49, joined CNN Primetime Thursday night to react to her former husband’s sentencing: ‘I am very happy about it. It’s been a great week for us, really, as a family, we’re happy to feel safe. We’re happy he’s in a place where he can’t hurt us, he can’t hurt anybody else,’ she said.
‘You know, of course, there’s that dark cloud sort of looming of pardon depending on who gets in office next or even, you know, beyond that, the next election. So there’s some, you know, reason for concern,’ she continued.
‘But other than that, it’s, you know, it’s been great to feel safe, really. And it’s been — my divorce was finalized this week after five and a half years of trying to deal with that. So it’s been a lot at once.’
Rhodes is pictured testifying before US District Judge Amit Mehta in court in November
Stewart Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years in prison for his involvement in the January 6 riots
His estranged wife also criticized former President Donald Trump in light of his statement about considering pardons for defendants connected to the event.
Tasha filed for divorce in 2018 after accusing Rhodes of abusing her physically and emotionally.
During the episode, host Abby Phillip asked Adams for her reaction to Trump and Republican Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida expressing openness to pardoning the individuals involved in the Capitol riot.
Adams expressed her belief that trying to persuade Trump and DeSantis against pardons would be fruitless, as she believes they are both on the same page as Rhodes and see no issue with his actions.
When asked what she would want Trump to understand about who the Oath Keepers are, Adams slammed the former president.
‘I’m not sure anything I would say would make any difference because I think they fully understand what he is and what he tried to do, and they fully support it. He is a person who plotted war for over a decade.’
District Court Judge Amit Mehta ruled on Thursday that Rhodes’ actions on January 6 amounted to domestic terrorism
Adams persisted in bashing Trump and Desantis: ‘All he ever thought about was creating chaos, creating violence, violence in the home, violence, you know, in the country, anything that could put himself on top, and any way he could make that happen. And I think, you know, Trump fully understands, DeSantis fully understands, they know what Stewart’s about, and they agree with him.’
Adams warned how dangerous her estranged husband still is and was confident that pardoning him could risk another potential January 6.
‘Are you worried at all that if Rhodes were pardoned that there would be a risk of another potential January 6th?’
Adams replied: Oh, absolutely. This is Stewart’s life’s work. This is what he does. He’s incredibly brilliant. He’s completely manipulative. He’s good at what he does. And he will just regroup immediately. I guarantee he already has plans in the works for as soon as he’s out. He will regroup and he will do this again. And he will do this again until he creates the kind of chaos that he wants to create.
Rhodes, 58, is the first person convicted of seditious conspiracy in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack to receive his punishment, and his sentence is the longest handed down so far in the hundreds of Capitol riot cases.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department will ‘continue to do everything in our power to hold accountable those criminally responsible for the January 6th attack on our democracy.’
Rhodes, who wears an eye patch after accidentally shooting himself in the face with his own gun, founded the Oath Keepers in 2009. He is pictured in a parking garage in Washington DC on January 5, 2021
Some of the Oath Keepers breached the Capitol clad in paramilitary gear. Others at a suburban hotel staged a ‘quick reaction force’ prosecutors said was equipped with firearms that could be quickly transported into Washington
Rhodes remained outside as other members of the group stormed the Capitol building
The judge agreed with the Justice Department that Rhodes’ actions should be punished as ‘terrorism,’ which is the reason for the extreme sentence.
There is question whether this sentence will foreshadow lengthy sentences down the road for other far-right extremists, including former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who have also been convicted of the rarely used charge.
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta described a defiant Rhodes as a continued threat to the United States and democracy ahead of sentencing.
The judge said because of his actions, American’s will ‘now hold our collective breaths every time an election is approaching.’
‘You are smart, you are charismatic and compelling and frankly that’s what makes you dangerous,’ the judge told Rhodes. ‘The moment you are released, whenever that may be, you will be ready to take up arms against your government.’
Rhodes, 58, is pictured outside the Capitol on January 6. Prosecutors argued he was the architect of a plot to prevent Congress from certifying the 2020 presidential election results
Rhodes is pictured testing out ‘escape’ tunnels in his backyard. His estranged wife Tasha Adams disclosed the images online which led to a judge denying him bail in January 2022
Instead of expressing remorse or appealing for leniency, Rhodes claimed to be a ‘political prisoner,’ and criticized prosecutors and the Biden administration attempting to play down his role on January 6.
‘I’m a political prisoner and like President Trump my only crime is opposing those who are destroying our country,’ said Rhodes, who appeared in Washington’s federal court wearing orange jail clothes.
‘You are not a political prisoner, Mr. Rhodes,’ the judge responded.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk