A man previously pardoned by former President Donald Trump for his involvement in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot has been arrested and charged with making terroristic threats against House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Christopher Moynihan, 34, was apprehended in Clinton, New York, following allegations that he planned to target Jeffries during a scheduled speech at the Economic Club of New York. According to court documents obtained by CBS News, Moynihan sent text messages stating, ‘I cannot allow this terrorist to live,’ and ‘Even if I am hated, [Jeffries] must be eliminated, I will kill him for the future.’ Moynihan, who was sentenced to 21 months in prison in 2023 for his role in the Capitol breach, was among the first rioters to break through police barricades. Prosecutors revealed that he entered the Senate Chamber, rummaged through a notebook on a senator’s desk, and took photos with his phone, remarking, ‘There’s gotta be something in here we can use against these [expletive].’ Trump pardoned Moynihan and over 1,000 other riot defendants during his presidency, labeling them ‘hostages’ whose lives were ‘destroyed.’ Jeffries, who represents a Brooklyn-based district, is a leading candidate for Speaker of the House should Democrats regain control. Moynihan is currently detained in Poughkeepsie and is set to appear in court on Thursday.
Pardoned Capitol rioter arrested for allegedly threatening to kill top Democrat
