A data leak of membership records from the Oath Keepers has revealed that several active New York City police officers are members of the extremist, far-right militia group.
This week, a cache of internal emails was made public by Distributed Denial of Secrets (DDoSecrets) after an anonymous hacker released data to the nonprofit, which shares leaked data to researchers and journalists.
In the wake of the January 6 Capitol riot, the Oath Keepers were flooded with emails from both prospective members looking to join the organization and existing members who wanted to leave.
An investigation into those online records found that some of those members include a number of New York City law enforcement officers, including two active NYPD officers, according to WNYC/Gothamist. It has not been confirmed whether these officers are still members of the Oath Keepers.
Three public officials listed on the logs have told the news outlet that they had previously signed up to be members but are no longer active with the organization.
The two active members have been identified as a sergeant with the NYPD's Firearms and Tactics Section and a Staten Island officer assigned to the department's Strategic Response Group, which is often deployed to mitigate protest efforts.
Ties between law enforcement officials and the Oath Keepers have led to an internal review within the NYPD and brought an immediate investigation by the mayor's office.
The NYPD prohibits officers from knowingly associating with organizations that are "reasonably believed" to be engaged in criminal activities.
Newsweek reached out to the NYPD for comment but didn't hear back before publication.
The Oath Keepers are well known as being a key player in the attack on the U.S. Capitol earlier this year and have been identified as an extremist group by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).
Stewart Rhodes, the group's founder, has long claimed that the organization has successfully recruited tens of thousands of present and former law enforcement officials and military veterans.
According to the SPLC, the Oath Keepers were founded after former President Barack Obama was elected as the nation's first Black president.
"On Jan. 6, 2021, members of the Oath Keepers from around the country participated in the insurrection and breach of the US Capitol building. To date, at least 18 members have been arrested and face criminal charges for their activities," the SPLC says on its website.
Earlier this month, a former Marine from Florida and member of the Oath Keepers pleaded guilty to charges of obstructing an official proceeding, in connection with his role in the January 6 riot.
About the writer
Katherine Fung is a Newsweek reporter based in New York City. Her focus is reporting on U.S. and world politics. ... Read more
