Pardoned Capitol rioter arrested for allegedly threatening to murder Hakeem Jeffries
A Pardoned Capitol Rioter Arrested for Threatening to Kill House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries
Recently, a pardoned Capitol rioter, Christopher Moynihan, was arrested for allegedly threatening to kill House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries while he spoke at an event in New York. The 34-year-old Moynihan reportedly sent a text stating that he would “eliminate” the Brooklyn Democrat during his speech at the Economic Club of New York.
Moynihan, who was pardoned nine months ago by President Trump, allegedly wrote in the message, “Hakeem Jeffries makes a speech in a few days in NYC I cannot allow this terrorist to live.” He also added, “Even if I am hated, he must be eliminated. I will kill him for the future.”
Following an FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force investigation, Moynihan was arrested by New York State Police on a felony charge of making a terroristic threat. He is scheduled to appear in court in Dutchess County, NY, on Thursday.
Moynihan was one of the first rioters to breach police barricades and enter the Capitol grounds on January 6, 2021. He was part of a smaller group that made its way to the floor of the Senate during the riots. Prosecutors stated that he rifled through a notebook on a Senator’s desk and occupied the dais of the Senate, joining other rioters in chants and shouts.
In August 2022, Moynihan was found guilty of obstructing an official proceeding and pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor charges. He was sentenced to 21 months in prison in February 2023. Moynihan is among more than 1,500 Capitol riot defendants who were granted clemency by Trump at the beginning of his second term.
