Leaked Oath Keepers Members List Contains Nearly 2,000 New Yorkers

NEW YORK, NY — Almost 2,000 New Yorkers have at one time considered themselves members of the Oath Keepers — some of them members of law enforcement or elected officials.

According to a report from the Anti-Defamation League, New York has 1,996 people who at one time signed up to be Oath Keepers.

Out of that number, five were New York elected officials and 45 were members of law enforcement in the state. None identified as military or first responders, the ADL said.

The report was based on a September 2021 leak of the far-right organization's membership rolls, numbering more than 38,000 names. The rolls were posted online by the nonprofit journalist collective Distributed Denial of Secrets.

The Oath Keepers is an anti-government extremist group associated with the militia movement.

The ADL said, in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on the United States Capitol, there has been significant public and legal scrutiny focused on the group.

More than 24 people associated with the Oath Keepers, including its leader Stewart Rhodes, have been charged in participating in the attack on the Capitol, the Chicago Tribune reported.

While the ADL did not name all those who were included in the database, it did say that a person's inclusion in the report does not necessarily mean they were or still are a member of the organization, that they actively participated in Oath Keeper activities or that they held all or some of the organization's ideology or viewpoints.

The ADL Center on Extremism said it was concerning that 81 people from around the country, as of Aug. 8, were currently holding or running for public office.

"When anti-government extremists hold elected office," the ADL said, "it creates a dangerous opportunity for them to use their power to advance their ideology in ways that can dramatically affect their constituents and undermine democracy."

As an example, the ADL said that one New York town justice wrote, "I am currently traveling our nation…educating people on the constitution and our founding fathers idea of gov. We meet alot [sic] of vets and police who feel the way we do. I’ll pass the word [sic].”

The Oath Keepers have had more success recruiting members of law enforcement and the military, the ADL's report found.

"Members of law enforcement and the military are frequently privy to sensitive or classified information," the report said, "and it is possible that members affiliated with groups like the Oath Keepers could use this information to advance their anti-government agenda or even disrupt an investigation."

As of Aug. 8, the Center on Extremism said there were 373 people in the database believed to be serving in law enforcement agencies around the country — as officers, detectives, sergeants, lieutenants and captains.

One corrections officer in New York wrote that they were not sure what skills the Oath Keepers were looking for, but "I have firearms training, first responder, CPR/AED, and the usual training g [sic] associated with being a Corrections Officer."

The ADL said, regarding leadership positions, it believes there are at least 10 chiefs of police and 11 sheriffs.