Joshua James, a member of the far-right militia organization known as the Oath Keepers, has been arrested by federal authorities in connection to his participation in the January rioting at the Capitol — and, according to an FBI agent, he was also a driver for longtime Trump ally Roger Stone as part of a security detail on January 5, the day before the rioting. James’s arrest marks the second federal criminal case connected to the Capitol rioting and involving an Oath Keepers member who provided some form of security for Stone in the time around the violence. The other individual arrested under similar circumstances is named Robert Minuta.
An alleged Oath Keeper charged in the Capitol riot was a driver for Roger Stone as part of his security detail at an event one day before the attack. https://t.co/IkocPH1zBw
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) March 12, 2021
James is slated to be held in jail until his trial, according to the instruction of Judge Gray Borden of the Northern District of Alabama, who also ordered James’s transfer to D.C. An FBI agent testified about James’s role in a security detail for Stone during a hearing on Thursday, where Borden “cited James’ history of mental illness when explaining why he should remain in jail before trial,” according to CNN. James, who is a veteran, has PTSD, anxiety, and depression, has refused to take medication for a few years, and, when outside of federal custody, has access to firearms. Thus, Borden concluded, James should remain in custody.
James, who is one of approximately a dozen Oath Keepers-affiliated individuals facing federal charges connected to the Capitol rioting, was arrested this week and faces charges of entering a restricted building and obstructing Congressional proceedings. While at the Capitol, the Trump supporters who swarmed the building hoped to forcibly stop the formal Congressional certification of the presidential election outcome, meaning Biden’s victory. They operated under the explicit pretense of the rigged election lies that then-President Donald Trump and his allies pushed for months following the 2020 presidential race. Even after the violence, Trump is still pushing the utterly maniacal lie that he was the rightful winner of the election.
James and Minuta aren’t the only individuals with eye-catching connections who have been arrested for participation in the Capitol rioting. Federico Klein was also taken into federal custody — and at the time of his participation in the rioting, he served in the State Department. Klein was a political appointee of the Trump administration and once worked on the Trump campaign. Klein, who violently physically assaulted police officers during the rioting, also held a top secret security clearance and remained on staff at the State Department after his violent acts. Like James, he’s being held in custody until his trial.
