NEW: A BuzzFeed News review of leaked financial documents, membership data, corporate filings, and online fundraising appeals, provides a new window into the Oath Keepers, the militant group that is tightly controlled by its founder. buzzfeednews.com/article/kenben…
Our analysis shows a surge in new membership accounts on the Oath Keepers website in the two months following the 2020 presidential election, when founder Stewart Rhodes was a frequent guest in far-right media and at rallies calling for the election to be overturned.
But after people wearing tactical gear and Oath Keeper insignias forced their way into the Capitol on Jan. 6, far fewer new members appear to have signed up on the website. The group says that the site has suffered technical difficulties.
Previously, high-profile, politically charged showdowns have been good for recruitment and fundraising. Last June and July, as Oath Keepers showed up as “security” at Black Lives Matter protests, the website appears to have gained more than 1,100 new registrations.
But in the wake of the Jan. 6 riot, the Oath Keepers have been kicked off social media and fund-raising platforms, and the group temporarily lost access to its website. It now asks interested parties to mail their membership check to a UPS store in Granbury, Texas.
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