A former North Carolina leader of the Oath Keepers testified Thursday that he believed Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the organization, was in touch with a Secret Service agent in the lead up to the 2020 presidential election.According to Zimmerman, members of the Oath Keepers – who are currently on trial for charges relating to the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack, including seditious conspiracy – gathered in September in Fayetteville, North Carolina, for a campaign rally for former President Donald Trump.Outside the secure zone attendees must follow state and local laws.”The plan for the rally, according to Zimmerman’s testimony, was to have a quick reaction force, or QRF, staged nearby for “whatever is needed in a hurry,” he said.“We would be the ones to react.”Attorneys for the five defendants have repeatedly argued that a QRF outside of Washington, DC, on January 6 was established in case then-President Trump invoked the Insurrection Act.There were no violent incidents at the September rally, Zimmerman testified on cross-examination, and he believed it could be in part due to the Oath Keepers providing security."