Accusations fly at California governor’s debate over Oath Keepers. What to know

A debate Tuesday between candidates for governor in California featured a sharp clash over the Oath Keepers organization.

The Oath Keepers is described by some as a far-right anti-government extremist militia group.

Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a Democrat, accused Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican, of being a member of the organization at the debate, The Sacramento Bee reported.

“And I’m very proud of it,” Bianco said. In response to a question from moderators, Bianco clarified that he was proud to have taken an oath of office, but went on to defend the Oath Keepers organization.

Bianco previously said he joined the Oath Keepers in 2014, The Sacramento Bee said.

Asked whether he still considered himself a member at the debate, Bianco said “no,” KXTV reported.

Here’s what to know about the Oath Keepers:

What are the Oath Keepers?

Founded by Stewart Elmer Rhodes III in 2009, the Oath Keepers are considered a “far-right anti-government extremist militia group,” according to the Program on Extremism at The George Washington University.

The organization is a “large but loosely organized collection of anti-government extremists who are part of the broader anti-government ‘Patriot’ movement, which includes militia and “three percenter” groups, sovereign citizens, and tax protesters, among others, the Anti-Defamation League said.

Who are the Oath Keepers?

The organization recruits primarily “active-duty military personnel and veterans, active and retired law enforcement officers, and others with desirable paramilitary and survival skills,” the Program on Extremism said.

What are the beliefs of the Oath Keepers?

The ideology of the organization closely aligns with the militia movement that spawned it in the early 2000s. Members believe the United States government is collaborating with a one-world international conspiracy called the New World Order, the Anti-Defamation League said.

They believe the conspiracy seeks to strip Americans of their rights, most notably the right to keep and bear arms, the league said.

The Oath Keepers themselves argue they are defending the U.S. Constitution from enemies both foreign and domestic, in keeping with military oaths.

What events have the Oath Keepers been involved in?

The Oath Keepers took part in a 2014 standoff with federal authorities at the Bundy Ranch in Nevada and also participated in the Jan. 6, 2020, attack on the U.S. Capitol, the Program for Extremism said.

Six members of the Oath Keepers, including Rhodes, were convicted on charges of seditious conspiracy following the attack. President Donald Trump later pardoned them.

This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 10:12 AM with the headline "Accusations fly at California governor’s debate over Oath Keepers. What to know."