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- A leaked database from the Oath Keepers extremist group contains more than 38,000 names.
- The list includes 373 people stated to be working in law enforcement.
- Also on the list are the names of at least 81 people running for public office.
A membership database containing some 38,000 names linked to the Oath Keepers extremist group includes hundreds of people running for or in public office, military officials, and law enforcement officers.
A report on the list was published on Tuesday by the Anti-Defamation League, which describes itself as an "anti-hate organization" that works to counter extremism and bigotry.
The ADL's Center on Extremism wrote in its report that more than 600 people in professions with "power and influence" — such as elected officials, law enforcement officers, and first responders — were listed in the database.
According to the group, the data was first obtained and published by journalist collective Distributed Denial of Secrets in September 2021 and contained information on those who had paid dues to the organization.
The report indicated that 117 people on the Oath Keepers membership list were current military officers. It also identified 373 people who hold positions in law enforcement and 81 people who are either in or running for public office this year.
According to the ADL's report, Texas, in particular, had the highest number of people — 3,300 — whose names are on the list. Texas also had the largest number of people in "trusted" professions, such as elected officials, who signed up to be part of the Oath Keepers.
Per the ADL, Virginia had the highest number of armed forces personnel linked to the group. New York had the most law enforcement officers signed up to the database.
The ADL acknowledged, however, that the list is not a comprehensive summary of extremist figures — as some people may have disavowed and left the group since and been one-time members. However, the ADL warned that it is "important to remember that the Oath Keepers have espoused extremism since their founding, and this fact was not enough to deter these individuals from signing up."
Kellye SoRelle, an attorney for the Oath Keepers, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.
The Oath Keepers were founded in 2009 by Stewart Rhodes, who has been charged in connection with the Capitol riot.
The group first branded its members as defenders of the Constitution and recruited police officers and military veterans to its ranks. However, the Oath Keepers have since been characterized as a far-right extremist group, particularly in light of bombshell accusations from the Justice Department that some of its members had allegedly brought explosives to the DC area on January 6, 2021, and had a "death list" of people they were targeting.
Oath Keepers like Brian Ulrich, Joshua James, and William Todd Wilson have pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy — the most serious charge leveled at suspected Capitol rioters thus far.
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