WASHINGTON—An FBI agent alleged in federal court on Oct. 4 that Thomas Caldwell organized a plan for the Oath Keepers to quickly bring weapons from a hotel in Virginia via a boat across the Potomac River to the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
FBI Special Agent Michael Palian testified that he arrested Caldwell not because he was described as a “commander” of the Oath Keepers on social media, but because the plan to bring the weapons was part of an alleged scheme to interfere with the certification of the Electoral College vote.
During his investigation of the Oath Keepers, Palian interviewed people around the country. He told the court that no one said to him that Caldwell planned to breach the Capitol. Although Caldwell didn’t pay a membership fee to be part of the Oath Keepers, said Palian, that doesn’t mean he wasn’t conspiring with them.
On January 6, Oath Keepers members communicated through a walkie-talkie app on their phones called Zello. According to Palian’s investigation, there is no evidence that Caldwell used the Zello app on Jan. 6, 2021. He also wasn’t in the “old leadership group,” a group chat on the app Signal where members of the Oath Keepers made plans to come to Washington. Even though Caldwell was on the Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, he didn’t enter the Capitol building, Palian confirmed.
When the FBI agents went to arrest Caldwell on Jan. 19, 2021, Palian didn’t notice any military training equipment on the property.
The defense attorney pointed out that at the time of the arrest, the FBI wasn’t aware of Caldwell’s military record, suggesting that the bureau didn’t conduct a thorough investigation before pressing a charge. The defense attorney said investigations of this nature sometimes take years to complete. The FBI agent responded that while that is sometimes the case, in other cases it could take a shorter time when danger is imminent.
During the opening statements on Oct. 3, the prosecutors said the Oath Keepers tried to gain credibility by using their training from the U.S. Army. They displayed a chart in the court with the Oath Keepers organization and what they were allegedly assigned to do on January 6.
The prosecutors presented the court with screenshots, audio recordings, and other materials that they say show how the Oath Keepers conspired to stop President-elect Joe Biden from taking office in 2021.
Thomas Caldwell, a retired U.S. Navy veteran, has been charged with seditious conspiracy, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, aiding and abetting, conspiracy to prevent an officer from discharging any duties, and tampering with documents.
