Former Oath Keepers Leader, Who Was Convicted of Sedition But Had Sentence Commuted by Trump, Wants to Work for the FBI

The founder and former leader of the far-right antigovernment extremist group—the Oath Keepers—declared Thursday that he wants to work for the FBI or for Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

Elmer Stewart Rhodes III was sentenced to 18 years in prison for seditious conspiracy related to the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, but his sentence was commuted by President Donald Trump. Now, he says his focus is on freeing what he calls "political prisoners" and reforming law enforcement agencies.

"I want to see the snitch culture and the entrapment culture at the FBI and DHS changed," Rhodes told CPAC reporters. "In fact, I could help do that. I want to work for Kash Patel to clean the FBI up or Tulsi Gabbard."

His interest in joining the FBI contradicts the agency's employment requirements, which state that applicants must have a clean public record with no felony convictions.

Rhodes also showed reporters a new tattoo he got in prison, depicting the moment a bullet grazed Trump's ear during a campaign rally. "I believe that's when he won the election," he said, praising Trump's response to the incident.

It remains unclear whether Rhodes has any realistic pathway to government employment, but his ambition highlights the momentum felt by Trump's ardent supporters as his administration enacts dramatic and unconventional changes within the federal government.