Mayor donated in 2013 to Oath Keepers group
Before he was Knox County mayor, Glenn Jacobs gave a small donation to the far-right extremist group Oath Keepers, whose members have been involved in armed standoffs with the federal government and are now considered a keystone of the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Jacobs’ connection to the Oath Keepers was reported in a Buzzfeed News story about politicians who had donated to the group. His onetime donation in 2013 was $50.
“Mayor Jacobs was never a member of the organization. He donated because of the group’s support for the Constitution, particularly the Second Amendment,” said county spokesperson Mike Donila.
“Since the donation, the mayor grew concerned when the organization began taking a more confrontational approach to moments of civil strife, with members appearing in tactical gear and carrying weapons in tense standoffs with federal agents starting in 2014.”
Using waybackmachine. com, a website that acts as an internet archive, visitors can see the group, while very conservative, wasn’t as extreme in 2013 as it is today. The 2013 website, while focused on constitutional challenges, said the group endorses “education and non-violent resistance.” It goes on to say the group “does not advocate for violent overthrow of the general government.”
In answer to follow-up questions, Donila said Jacobs does not believe the 2020 presidential election was stolen and is confident President Joe Biden was fairly elected.
The Oath Keepers trade in conspiracy theories and fringe interpretations of the U.S. Constitution. The group was founded by Yale Law School graduate Stewart Rhodes after the inauguration of President Barack Obama, the county’s first Black leader.
The Oath Keepers refuse to acknowledge the authority of the federal government. Members commit to a conspiracy-laden declaration of orders they will refuse to enforce, including disarming the American people (which has never been attempted).