Ten Illinois firefighters, paramedics and EMTs appear to have joined the ranks of the far-right Oath Keepers, more than in any other state, according to a report released Wednesday by the Anti-Defamation League Center on Extremism. Illinois also saw 21 law enforcement officers, three elected officials and two members of the military sign up for the extremist group, the ADL said. The findings are based on a 2021 leak of the Oath Keepers’ purported membership rolls, posted online by the transparency collective Distributed Denial of Secrets. The ADL said it compared the names with information found in public databases, media reports and social media platforms to identify those who held public safety jobs. The ADL cautioned, however, that being on the list is not conclusive proof someone is or was a member of the Oath Keepers. Some interviewed by media outlets over the last year denied they had joined the group, or said they had never been an active member. The ADL would not specify which of the 883 Illinoisans found on the Oath Keepers’ membership list are allegedly first responders, nor would it identify the departments in which they work. Oren Segal, vice president of the Center on Extremism, said the organization wants to focus on the big picture. “At the end of the day, there are people in various positions in society, from law enforcement to elected officials to emergency medical professionals, who we need to trust are there purely to serve the needs of the community,” he said. “The Oath Keepers are anathema to that concept, so where you have the nexus between Oath Keepers and those who are supposed to serve the community, it raises concerns.” Tap the link in our bio to learn more. --- A man wearing an Oath Keepers shirt stands outside the Kenosha County Courthouse in Wisconsin on Nov. 19, 2021. (Paul Sancya / AP)