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‘Idiot’ Oath Keepers Rioter Jessica Watkins Gets 8.5 Years in Prison

Watkins called herself “just another idiot running around the Capitol” and apologized for her actions on Jan. 6.

Jessica Watkins, a military veteran, transgender woman, and Oath Keepers member who participated in the Jan. 6 insurrection, is going to prison for eight-and-a-half years. A federal judge sentenced Watkins on Friday—letting her off easy compared to other Oath Keepers members who stormed the Capitol. Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes got 18 years on Thursday, while another member, Kelly Meggs, got 12. Watkins had expressed some remorse for her role in the storming. “I was just another idiot running around the Capitol,” Watkins said, according to NBC. “But idiots are held responsible, and today you’re going to hold this idiot responsible.”