"To carry out its protective functions on January 6th, the U.S. Secret Service relied on the assistance of various government partners. Any assertion that the Secret Service employed private citizens to perform those functions is false," a US Secret Service spokesperson said in a statement to CNN on Sunday.

The Justice Department, which is prosecuting Watkins' case, has not yet responded to her claims in court.

Watkins' attorney argued in the new filing she isn't alleged to have been violent in the melee, and that, though she is charged with aiding the destruction of property, didn't participate in vandalism and encouraged others not to as well. The court filing is the first meaty defense of the high-profile defendant in court.

Watkins' defense attorney, Michelle Peterson, wrote on Saturday that her client and other supporters of Trump had believed the then-President would invoke the Insurrection Act to use the military to overturn what he falsely said was the fraudulent election of Joe Biden. And Watkins and others believed "they would have a role if this were to happen," the filing said.

"However misguided, her intentions were not in any way related to an intention to overthrow the government, but to support what she believed to be the lawful government. She took an oath to support the Constitution and had no intention of violating that oath or of committing any violent acts."

Watkins' attorney argued in the filing her client had worn tactical gear potentially to defend herself, and walked up the Capitol steps with other Oath Keepers in a "stack" formation because the group may have wanted to stay together in the crowd.

She has been detained since her arrest in mid-January. The Justice Department is seeking to keep her in jail pending trial.

This story has been updated with comments from a US Secret Service spokesperson.