January 6 US Capitol rioter arrested for allegedly threatening to kill Hakeem Jeffries | Hakeem Jeffries

A man pardoned by Donald Trump for his conviction in the early 2021 U.S. Capitol attack by the Republican president’s supporters has been arrested for allegedly threatening to kill Democratic House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, according to authorities and the New York representative himself.

Christopher Moynihan, 34, was arrested by New York State Police on charges of making terroristic threats, the agency said. announced.

The FBI’s joint terrorism task force alerted state police on Oct. 18 that Moynihan, of Clinton, New York, was “threatening to kill a member of Congress,” according to officials.

Following what police described as a “thorough investigation,” Moynihan was “arrested and arraigned” in court in Clinton.

Police did not publicly name the congressman in their initial statement Sunday. But in a statement released Tuesday, Jeffries said he was “grateful to state and federal law enforcement for taking swift and decisive action with every intention of apprehending a dangerous individual who made a credible death threat against me.”

CBS News And ReutersBased on court documents obtained in the case, Moynihan allegedly sent text messages saying he planned to “eliminate” Jeffries, who represents New York’s eighth congressional district, at an event in New York City on Monday.

Jeffries on Monday spoke at the Economic Club of New York.

Reuters reported in the complaint that Moynihan sent the following text messages on Friday: “Hakeem Jeffries is giving a speech in NYC in a few days, I cannot let this terrorist live… Even if I am hated, he must be eliminated… I will kill him for the future.”

The recipient of the texts was not identified, according to Reuters. The complaint also states that the text messages “placed the recipient in reasonable fear of the imminent murder and assassination of Hakeem Jeffries by the defendant.”

Moynihan was scheduled to appear in court Thursday following his arrest.

He was ordered held in lieu of $10,000 cash bail, $30,000 bond or $80,000 partially secured bond.

In Jeffries’ statement on Tuesday, the House minority leader stated: Moynihan was among more than 1,500 people involved in the Jan. 6 attack who were granted a pardon by Trump shortly after the start of his second presidency in January.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (Crew), a progressive federal government watchdog and nonprofit reported At least 10 Capitol attackers who were pardoned in June have been re-arrested, charged or convicted of other crimes.

“Since the amnesty earlier this year, many of the criminals released have committed additional crimes across the country,” Jeffries said. “Unfortunately, our brave men and women in law enforcement are forced to spend their time protecting our communities from these violent individuals who should never be forgiven.”

Court documents and press releases indicate Moynihan is due in August 2022 found guilty He attacked the Capitol on charges of obstructing an official hearing, the congressional certification of Joe Biden’s victory over Trump in the 2020 presidential election. Moynihan also pleaded guilty to five related misdemeanor charges.

According to a 2023 newsletter Moynihan “was among the rioters who breached the security perimeter on the east side of the Capitol” on the day of the attack, according to the US attorney’s office in Washington, D.C.

Prosecutors said he “joined the rioters outside the Rotunda door” and was among those who entered the building.

They say he briefly entered the US Senate gallery and then entered his chambers.

“While in the Senate chamber, Moynihan rifled through a notebook on the senator’s desk, pulled out papers, and took photos with his cell phone,” prosecutors said. “As he was reviewing the papers, he said, ‘There must be something here that we can use against these bags,'” the US attorney’s office said.

“Moynihan then walked toward the Senate well, where he stood next to a raised table and platform” and “stood with a group of rioters who were yelling, chanting, and praying through a megaphone,” prosecutors added.

Soon, “law enforcement cleared the Senate chamber and Moynihan was escorted out of the Capitol,” prosecutors said.

he was prisoner In February 2023, he was sentenced to one year, nine months in prison, three years of supervised release, and $2,000 in restitution.

The Guardian asked the White House to comment on Moynihan’s arrest.

Moynihan’s claim to kill Jeffries comes as the issue of political violence has dominated public discourse in the United States for several months.

The house of Pennsylvania’s Democratic governor, Josh Shapiro, was firebombed in April, and the arsonist pleaded guilty on October 14. In June, a gunman killed Minnesota’s former House speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and wounded fellow Democrat state senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette.

And conservative political activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University on September 10.

“It has been the honor of my life to serve in Congress during these challenging times,” Jeffries said in a statement Tuesday. “Threats of violence will not stop us from showing up, standing up, and speaking out on behalf of the American people.”