A Jan. 6 rioter praised Vivek Ramaswamy at his sentencing for suggesting riot was an ‘inside job’

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At the sentencing hearing of Alan Hostetter, a former California police chief convicted of conspiracy in connection to the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, he delivered a speech that garnered attention. Hostetter, who received a prison sentence exceeding 11 years, used this opportunity to praise Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Ramaswamy had previously suggested that the Capitol attack might have been an “inside job.”

During his speech, Hostetter, who prosecutors claimed had a hatchet in his backpack on the fateful day, propagated conspiracy theories. He falsely asserted that the 2020 election had been stolen from former President Donald Trump and referred to the riot as a “false flag” operation. Notably, only eight other defendants from the January 6 events have received longer sentences than Hostetter, making his term the third-longest among those not charged with seditious conspiracy.

Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur making his first foray into politics, has garnered attention within the GOP for his rapid and wide-ranging speeches. In a recent GOP debate, he embraced a conspiracy theory suggesting that federal agents may have been involved in the January 6 events, a notion widely embraced by far-right circles claiming that Trump supporters were framed. However, FBI Director Christopher Wray has categorically dismissed these claims as baseless.

Hostetter’s mention of Ramaswamy during his sentencing implied that such ideas were no longer confined to fringe theories. Nevertheless, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth emphasized that Hostetter’s conviction was not about his beliefs but about his involvement in the riot that disrupted Congress as they were certifying the 2020 election results. The judge handed down a 135-month sentence, which closely aligned with the more than 12 years prosecutors had sought.

Prosecutor Anthony Mariano emphasized Hostetter’s actions before and during January 6, citing his statements about instilling fear in members of Congress and the weapons he had brought to Washington. Hostetter was convicted in July on multiple counts, including conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and entering a restricted area with a deadly weapon.

Hostetter, who had previously served as a police chief in California and later turned to yoga instruction, founded a nonprofit called the American Phoenix Project in 2020. This tax-exempt organization was used to oppose COVID-19 restrictions and advocate for violence against political opponents after the 2020 presidential election.

Hostetter was arrested in June 2021 along with five other individuals, some of whom were linked to the Three Percenters wing of the militia movement. It’s worth noting that Hostetter denied any association with the Three Percenters and accused prosecutors of misrepresenting him as a radical terrorist.

In the broader context, the Capitol riot has led to charges against approximately 1,200 individuals. Roughly 900 of them have either pleaded guilty or been convicted through trials, with over 700 having received sentences, the majority of which range from three days to 22 years in prison.

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More about Capitol Riot Sentencing

• Former California police chief sentenced
• Vivek Ramaswamy’s conspiracy theory
• U.S. Capitol riot sentencing
• American Phoenix Project and Alan Hostetter
• FBI Director Christopher Wray’s statement
• Overview of Capitol riot-related charges and sentences