COLUMBUS, Ind. — An Indiana group that shares the name of a national organization branded as a loosely organized network of right-wing, anti-government extremists has come under scrutiny in recent weeks after a man from Edinburgh was charged with committing acts of violence during the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot while wearing a hat with the group’s logo.
The group, Indiana Oath Keepers Inc., was founded in 2017 and is currently registered as a non-profit organization with addresses in Fort Wayne and Westfield, according to state records. In the wake of the Capitol riot, Kroger and Amazon removed the Indiana group from their charitable giving programs.
On Jan. 17, Jon Schaffer, a member of the heavy metal band Iced Earth, turned himself in to the FBI has been charged with several felonies, including engaging in an act of physical violence and knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful entry. As of Friday, Schaffer remained incarcerated in the Marion County Jail in Indianapolis awaiting extradition to Washington D.C., after waiving an initial hearing.
Schaffer was photographed and captured on video surveillance Jan. 6 spraying Capitol police with bear spray while wearing a hat that read “Oath Keepers Lifetime Member,” according to court documents filed Jan. 16 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The FBI listed Schaffer as a Columbus resident, but the Johnson County Clerk’s Office said he is currently registered to vote under an Edinburgh address.
Since Schaffer’s arrest, Indiana Oath Keepers has tried to distance itself from the national organization, although they share a name, logo and mission statement.
In a statement posted on the Indiana Oath Keeper’s website, the group said Schaffer was not a member of the Indiana Oath Keepers and said it is not a militia or anti-government group, instead describing itself as a “grassroots charitable organization” that seeks to educate people about the U.S. Constitution.
“The individual arrested in Columbus, Indiana and was wearing an Oath Keepers (not Indiana Oath Keepers) hat in the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, is NOT a member of Indiana Oath Keepers,” the statement reads.
For the complete story about Oath Keepers in Bartholomew County and Indiana, see Sunday’s Republic.
