Retired Navy Lt. Cmdr. Thomas Caldwell helped plan the assault on the Capitol building Jan. 6, an attempt to delay Congress certifying the presidential election, attorneys for the federal government alleged.
But it wasn't just the Capitol he planned to target, prosecutors say. New documents filed by the government that ask the court to detain Caldwell rather than grant him bail also reveal new evidence for the state's case.
After retiring from the Navy, Caldwell obtained a top-secret clearance and worked for the FBI as a GS-12 employee. According to the court documents, he planned the insurrection with the Oathkeepers and other groups.
In mid-December, he texted an Oathkeeper about plans for Washington D.C., according to the documents, saying that, "maybe we should get, ideally, 3 four-man teams with a 2 man quick reaction force and 2 drivers/extractors to double as snipers/stallers (I'll explain those later) and go hunting after dark for those cockroaches who prey on the weak. This could be done even after a day of protection duty downtown if a safe house was located nearby for a short rest and refit. Easy. 2 x 8 man vans would be needed for dependable transport, redeploy and/or extract. Easy. Just sayin'. It could be done. Do you have a shemagh for a head wrap? Do your troopers?"
Caldwell continues, writing, "Some might ask what is to be gained by this type of sortie. I believe you know without it being stated here. I trust you to tell me if I am being imprudent in these thoughts."
In another text message in early December, Caldwell continues his use of military jargon while posting links to hand weapons on eBay including a hatchet with the words "zombie killer" on it.
"Above are 2 links to weapons I have found and am mentioning on the TO&E of the draft Oporder." A TO&E is a "Table of Organization and Equipment" which details how personnel in a military unit are organized and what weapons and equipment they are assigned. An Op Order or OPORD is a standardized mission plan done by military leaders prior to leading an operation.
In early January, Caldwell continued planning the logistics for Jan. 5-6, working on arranging transportation and accommodations, according to the documents. On Jan 2. he allegedly texted Donovan Crowl about their hotel saying, "This is a good location and would allow us to hunt at night if we wanted to."
On Jan. 3, court documents indicate that he described a contingency plan he developed, "How many people either in the militia or not (who are still supportive of our efforts to save the Republic) have a boat on a trailer that could handle a Potomac crossing? If we had someone standing by at a dock ramp (one near the Pentagon for sure) we could have our Quick Response Team with the heavy weapons standing by, quickly load them and ferry them across the river to our waiting arms ... More or less be hanging around sipping coffee and maybe scooting on the river a bit and pretending to fish, then if it all went to shit our guy loads our weps AND Blue Ridge Militia weps and ferries them across. Dude!"
Caldwell appears to have not entered the Capitol building itself on Jan. 6, however, state attorneys argue, "like any coach on the sideline, Caldwell was just as responsible as his players on the field for achieving what he viewed as a victory that day. In fact, refusing to be relegated to the sidelines entirely, he breached perimeters and stormed to a Capitol balcony," the court documents read.
In a video of the Capitol insurrection, Caldwell can be seen on camera saying, "every single bastard in there is a traitor" as he points to the Capitol building.
In a motion filed for Caldwell's release, his attorney argued that his client is a 66-year-old 100% disabled veteran with no criminal history. He is married and has held a top-secret clearance since 1979. His lawyer argued that the threshold to keep his client in pre-trial confinement has not been met and that Caldwell is not a flight risk and does not pose a threat to the community.
"Outside of his time as a decorated U.S. military officer, Caldwell is a lifelong resident of Clarke County, Virginia where he is a property owner. He has no criminal record or any history of violence or breaking the law. In fact, just the opposite, he has been decorated for service and he has placed himself in harm's way to protect others," his attorney wrote.
Want to get more connected to the stories and resources Connecting Vets has to offer? Click here to sign up for our weekly newsletter. Reach Jack Murphy: jack@connectingvets.com or @JackMurphyRGR.