WASHINGTON (CN) — After internal messages released by a member of the Oath Keepers said Rep. Ronny Jackson needed their “protection” during last year's insurrection, Jackson on Tuesday denied having any connection to the extremist right-wing group.
“Like many public figures, Rep. Jackson is frequently talked about by people he does not know,” a spokesperson for the Texas Republican said in a statement. “He does not know nor has he ever spoken to the people in question.”
The people in question are members of the Oath Keepers whose group chat from the Capitol riot became public late Monday night in court filings from Edward Vallejo, one of 11 affiliates of the group now facing charges of seditious conspiracy.
“Dr. Ronnie Jackson — on the move. Needs protection. If anyone inside cover him. He has critical data to protect,” one Oath Keepers affiliate said at 3:09 p.m. during the riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
Jackson is a physician, retired U.S. Navy rear admiral and one-term congressman, representing a district of Texas that includes most of the state's panhandle. He served under three presidents after leaving the military and joining the White House Medical Unit but faced scrutiny while former President Donald Trump was in office for making effusive statements about Trump's health. Jackson famously praised what he called Trump's "incredibly good genes" during a lengthy 2018 press conference and signed a health chart stating that Trump was 6-foot-3 and 239 lbs., putting him under the standard of obese by body-mass index.
Jackson is not the only ally of the former president implicated in the trove of messages shared by Vallejo, some of which show that the Oath Keepers discussed plans to provide security for Infowars host Alex Jones and Trump's political confidante Roger Stone during pro-Trump demonstrations planned in Washington on the day of the insurrection.
Less than a week before Jan. 6, Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes discussed security for Alex Jones and said, “They LOVE working with us because of our legit ‘quiet professional’ demeanor and skillsets.”
The following day, Oath Keepers member Jessica Watkins messaged the group that Stone went on Jones’ Infowars podcast and asked for security in Washington on Jan. 6.
“I’d like to shake that man’s hand,” an unidentified person replied.
“I can arrange that. Been [to] his house a few times,” said Vallejo, who is identified in the chat as “OK Gator 1.”
Vallejo was not physically at the Capitol during the insurrection, but prosecutors say he standing by at a hotel in Virginia as part of a “Quick Reaction Force” — ready to be summoned by his comrades at the U.S. Capitol should they need weapons ferried across the Potomac. A resident of Phoenix, Vallejo, 63, likely hopes his release of chat logs will exonerate him, or at least bolster his bid for pretrial release, against charges that he conspired with others to overthrow the U.S. government in the days leading up to Jan. 6.
Details about how the Oath Keepers planned to disrupt Congress’ certification of the 2020 election, including discussions about what to pack, where to park and how to participate, are sprinkled in the chat pages.
Five days before the riot, an unidentified person messaged the group that, “One thing to keep in mind is that you MUST follow the magazine limits of ten rounds, but the LT knows of no limits on numbers of mags.”
Other messages from the group chat on Jan. 1 include: “A designated baton is illegal but a gorilla glue filled flexible 1/2 pvc tube is completely legal”; “Can’t believe pepper spray is allowed in DC CCP" and “If the flag pole [h]as a 6" spike on top think that's an issue? Asking for a friend.”
And just three days before the insurrection, someone commented on Jan. 3 that, “many seem to believe this will be a peaceful event” and “that may be our intent but it's not shared by the left.”
“Seeing lots of videos today of anti-patriot groups implying they are coming to DC armed to take out Trumpers FYI,” the person added.
Ten minutes later, someone else reminded the group of what was at stake: “We know what the risks are…the reward could be getting our country back….Remember fellas [it’s] less about Trump than it is about our Republic.”
Vallejo’s decision to include the messages in his motion for pretrial release comes just over a month after Joshua James became the first of the 11 people linked to the Oath Keepers to plead guilty to seditious conspiracy in connection with the riot.
Vallejo has been incarcerated since being arrested on Jan. 13. He pleaded not guilty on Jan. 28 to seditious conspiracy, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of an official proceeding, aiding and abetting, and conspiracy to prevent an officer from discharging any duties.
Prosecutors must respond to Vallejo’s motion for pretrial release by April 25. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, an Obama appointee, is presiding over the case.
Vallejo and his alleged co-conspirators are set to go before a federal jury in Washington on Sept. 27.
As of April 6, nearly 800 people have been charged in connection with the Capitol riot. Approximately 50 defendants have been charged with conspiracy, including conspiracy to obstruct a congressional proceeding; conspiracy to obstruct law enforcement during a civil disorder; conspiracy to injure an officer, or a combination of the three.
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