Topline
Christopher Moynihan, a pardoned Capitol rioter, was charged with threatening to kill House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., days before the Democratic leader was scheduled to speak at an event in New York.
Christopher Moynihan allegedly threatened to kill House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
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Key Facts
Moynihan, 34, was arrested in the Hudson Valley town of Clinton on Saturday after an investigation into threats against a member of Congress conducted by New York state police and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, according to a statement from New York State Police.
The targeted member of Congress was Jeffries, CBS News first reported on Monday citing court documents.
Moynihan was charged with making a terroristic threat, a felony that could include up to seven years of jail time, according to local arrest records.
What Did Moynihan Say?
According to a criminal complaint obtained by Reuters, Moynihan directly referenced an upcoming speech the Minority Leader was making. “Hakeem Jeffries makes a speech in a few days in NYC I cannot allow this terrorist to live,” Moynihan allegedly wrote in text messages on Friday. Jeffries spoke at the Economic Club of New York on Monday. “Even if I am hated, he must be eliminated… I will kill him for the future,” Jeffries wrote, according to the criminal complaint. It was unclear who Jeffries sent the text messages to, and records viewed by Forbes indicate the messages were sent to the FBI by an “anonymous source.” The same source told investigators they were concerned with Moynihan’s suspected drug use and “homicidal ideations,” according to the document.
Key Background
Before his arrest on Saturday, Moynihan was one of hundreds of participants in the Capitol riots of January 6, 2021 who was granted clemency when President Donald Trump pardoned nearly every participant in one of his first moves after taking office for his second term. According to Justice Department records, Moynihan was one of the participants who broke into the Capitol building and entered the halls of Congress. While inside the Senate Chamber, Moynihan searched through notebooks and took photos on his cell phone, saying, “there’s gotta be something in here we can f—— use against these —-bags,” according to prosecutors. He was also one of several protesters who stood on the dais of the Senate and shouted and prayed with a bullhorn. Moynihan was arrested and charged with obstructing an official proceeding. He was found guilty in August 2022 and eventually sentenced to 21 months in federal prison, as well as 36 months of supervised release and a $2,000 fine.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zacharyfolk/2025/10/21/pardoned-capitol-rioter-arrested-after-threatening-murder-of-hakeem-jeffries/
