A participant in the January 6 Capitol insurrection, who received a pardon from former President Donald Trump, has been charged with threatening to kill House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Christopher Moynihan, 34, is accused of sending menacing text messages regarding Jeffries, as outlined in a felony complaint in New York state court.
The complaint states that one of the messages included, “In a few days Hakeem Jeffries will be speaking in New York. I cannot let this terrorist live. Even if I am hated, he must be eliminated… I will kill him for the future.”
The identity of the text’s recipient hasn’t been disclosed.
The alleged threat was reportedly sent on Friday. According to the complaint, “These text messages created a reasonable fear in the recipients of defendant’s impending murder and assassination of Mr. Hakeem Jeffries.”
Jeffries, who represents New York’s 8th Congressional District, has been the leading Democrat in the House since 2022.
In February 2023, Moynihan received a 21-month prison sentence for charges including felony obstruction of justice. He was one of around 1,590 individuals prosecuted in relation to the Capitol riot by Trump supporters, who contested the affirmation of Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential victory.
An extreme risk protection order background report by New York State Police indicates that Moynihan was “fully pardoned by President Trump on January 20, 2025 for his role in the Capitol riot.”
Moynihan is set to appear in court on Thursday.
Dutchess County District Attorney Anthony Parisi stated, “Intimidation of elected officials and members of the public will not be tolerated. We will pursue all available investigative and prosecutorial avenues to hold responsible parties accountable, protect potential victims, and deter future violence.”
