pushing transgenderism. We need conserva- tive leadership with more grit!” Over the years, Gohmert has made a name for himself in Congress as a bit of an eccen- tric. He’s called those locked up over their participation in the Jan. 6 riots “political pris- oners.” He’s suggested changing the moon’s orbit as a way to combat climate change. Gohmert’s also an ardent supporter of for- mer President Donald Trump, having filed a lawsuit in an attempt to keep him in power despite Trump’s 2020 electoral loss. And days before the storming of the U.S. Capitol last year, intelligence analysts flagged comments Gohmert made on Newsmax as encouraging violence, according to Politico. Still, Gohmert is attempting to persuade voters that he’s more ethical than the in- cumbent. Paxton is running for a third term with multiple blights on his record. He was in- dicted in 2015 on charges of felony securities fraud, and in October 2020 was accused of bribery by several of his aides, as well as abuse of office. Now, Paxton is knee-deep in another le- gal skirmish. On Thursday, the Travis County district attorney found that the em- battled attorney general had violated the state’s open records law, according to The Dallas Morning News. He refused to hand over his communications from January 2021, when he’d spoken at a pro-Trump rally ahead of the Capitol insurrection. Although Gohmert may swing a little fur- ther right, he and the incumbent are fairly similar ideologically, said Dr. Matthew Esh- baugh-Soha, a political science professor at the University of North Texas. Gohmert will have to work to convince voters who’ve pre- viously gone for Paxton that he’s the better option. One way to do that is by attacking Paxton on his legal troubles, Eshbaugh-Soha said. Barring a “seismic shift in politics,” incum- bents typically do well, so Gohmert could underscore the scandals surrounding his primary opponent. Some voters might fear that Paxton’s purportedly sketchy past could open the door for a Democrat to take over the AG’s office. Gohmert might get support from voters in his congressional district, but he’s got work to do when it comes to building his brand among non-constituents. “In terms of name recognition alone, people out in Lubbock, un- less they watch The Daily Show, which some- Win McNamee / Getty Images times features Gohmert, or you know, FOX News or whatever, they’re not going to know who he is,” Eshbaugh-Soha said. Another GOP primary candidate for at- torney general, Land Commissioner George P. Bush, could make for a more interesting challenge, Eshbaugh-Soha added. (In Octo- ber, before Gohmert had announced, 48% of registered voters said they’d opt for Paxton in a Republican primary, with 16% choosing Bush, according to a poll by the University of Texas/Texas Tribune.) Bush is more of a moderate, so he can dif- ferentiate himself more from the incum- bent, Eshbaugh-Soha added. “I think the attorney general’s race is probably going to be more interesting than the governor’s race,” he said. “Because Pax- ton is, I mean, he’s vulnerable with those scandals, so it’s just a matter of whether vot- ers are going to recoil from Paxton because of that. And if they do, then this opens up an opportunity for somebody else.” ▼ TEXAS MILITIAS L THE LEADER OF A RIGHT-WING MILITIA GROUP STANDS ACCUSED OF ATTEMPTING TO OVERTHROW THE U.S. GOVERNMENT. BY MICHAEL MURNEY OATH BREAKERS ast Friday, a row of defendants sat handcuffed with their backs to the public benches. The courtroom 108 in Plano was jammed. U.S. District Judge Kim- Rep. Louie Gohmert is running for Texas attorney general. berly Johnson had a slate of cases on her docket, but the buzz in the room focused mostly on one defendant. Stewart Rhodes, the leader of a right- wing anti-government militia group called the Oath Keepers, sat handcuffed among the row of defendants, dressed in a dark green T-shirt and wearing a blue surgical mask. U.S. Attorney Leslie Brooks read the govern- ment’s charges against him. Rhodes stands accused of five federal crimes, including one charge of seditious conspiracy, or plotting to overthrow the U.S. government by force. The accusations stem from his alleged role as a key orchestrator of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot last year, during which a coalition of Trump supporters, QAnon conspiracy theorists and hardline right- wing militiamen like the Oath Keepers stormed the Capitol building while Con- gress was ratifying the results of the 2020 election, which Donald Trump lost. After the charges were read aloud, Rhodes and his attorney, James Lee Wright, told the judge they intended to secure Rhodes’ release from custody while he waited for his trial. Brooks stated the gov- ernment would seek to keep him in jail while he awaited trial, and Johnson sched- uled a hearing to decide the matter for Thursday, Jan. 20. Rhodes’ indictment on sedition charges marks a key turning point in the U.S. Justice Department’s effort to investigate and pros- ecute those who participated in the Jan. 6 attacks. It also left an opening at the highest ranking position within the Oath Keepers’ militia, who claims membership in the tens of thousands and includes current and for- mer law enforcement officers and military. Kellye SoRelle, a North Texas-based at- torney, told the Observer after Rhodes’ hear- ing that she has been appointed to fill Rhodes’ place as the Oath Keepers “interim president.” SoRelle, who has represented the Oath Keepers in past legal disputes, said that Rhodes informed “a small group of the lead- ers” within the Oath Keepers that she was to take over his position as president of the group in the event of his arrest. She declined to identify the small group of Oath Keepers who were informed of Rhodes’ plan by name. (SoRelle also filed a lawsuit last year against every sitting member of Congress and seeking to void every vote in the No- vember 2020 election.) Rhodes’ attorney, James Lee Wright, said Rhodes “intends to fight the charges” of se- ditious conspiracy against the government. Wright is also intent on getting him out of jail while he awaits trial. “He has no criminal history, no passport, no reason to flee,” Wright said. Until Thursday, Rhodes will be held in Fannin County Jail, not far from the Texas- Oklahoma border. His legal team said they “were not aware” of any protective custody granted to Rhodes for the next five days while he waits for his next court appearance. “This is a big deal and serious charge,” said Heidi Beirich, who leads the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism watch- dog group. “The Department of Justice has moved aggressively against hate groups like the Proud Boys and militia groups like the Three Percenters, and now this very serious charge against the Oath Keepers members and leaders.” Beirich added, “Sedition cases have his- torically been rare, which indicates I think that the evidence is highly compelling here.” The Southern Poverty Law Center, an Alabama-based watchdog that monitors hate groups, considers the Oath Keepers an anti-government outfit “based on a set of baseless conspiracy theories about the fed- eral government working to destroy Ameri- cans’ liberties.” We bring sophistication with a twist to the metaphysical and holistic markets with products, classes and services. We have locations in Dallas, Carrollton & Frisco. Psychic Hotline Now Available: 888-415-6208 WWW.SOULTOPIA.GURU BEST OF DALLAS AWARD WINNER S Visit us: 900 W Davis St, Dallas • 3414 Midcourt Rd #100, Carrollton 7004 Lebanon Rd, STE 106, Frisco, Texas 75034 9 9 dallasobserver.comdallasobserver.com | CONTENTS | UNFAIR PARK | SCHUT |ZE | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | MOVIES | DISH | MUSIC | CLASSIFIED | CLASSIFIED | MUSIC DISH | CULTURE | UNFAIR PARK | CONTENTS DALLAS OBSERVER DALLAS OBSERVER MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2014 JANUARY 20–26, 2022 2020
