WASHINGTON — An attorney representing the far-right Oath Keepers movement pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021, mob attack on the U.S. Capitol, which also involved members of the extremist group.
Kellye SoRelle, who was general counsel for the anti-government group and a close associate of its founder, is expected to be sentenced on January 17 by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington, D.C.
SoRelle answered routine questions from the judge as she pleaded guilty to two charges: a misdemeanor count of obstruction of justice and a misdemeanor count of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds. The misdemeanor carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, but her estimated sentencing guidelines recommend a maximum of 16 months behind bars.
SoRelle was arrested in Junction, Texas, in September 2022. Her case was put on hold for months amid questions about her mental health.
More than a year ago, medical experts concluded that SoRelle was mentally unfit to stand trial. In November 2023, she checked into a federal prison for treatment. Last month, Mehta ruled that SoRelle had recovered to the point that she could understand the nature of her charges and assist in her defense.
Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes is serving a 18 years in prison for orchestrate a plot to keep Donald Trump in the White House after the 2020 presidential election. After Rhodes’ arrest, SoRelle told media that she was serving as chair of the Oath Keepers in his absence.
SoRelle was photographed with Rhodes outside the Capitol on January 6. The night before the riot, she and Rhodes had met with other members of extremist groups in an underground garage in Washington, D.C. Also present at the meeting was 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 peaceful transfer of power from Trump to Joe Biden after the election.
Rhodes, a former U.S. Army paratrooper, founded the Oath Keepers in 2009. The group recruits current and former military, police, and first responders and pledges to “uphold the oath taken by all military and police officers to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
During the trial of Rhodes and other Oath Keepers on seditious conspiracy charges, jurors heard testimony that SoRelle had a romantic relationship with Rhodes. She was with him outside the Capitol on January 6, but was not charged with entering the building.
SoRelle pleaded guilty to obstructing justice by encouraging others to destroy electronic evidence of their participation in the plot. She was indicted on other charges, including conspiring with Rhodes and other Oath Keepers to obstruct Congress from certifying the Electoral College votes. But she pleaded not guilty to the conspiracy charge.