In a shocking turn of events, a New York resident, previously pardoned by President Donald Trump for his involvement in the infamous Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, finds himself back in the clutches of the law.
Christopher Moynihan, 34, stands accused of issuing a death threat against a prominent House Democrat.
Moynihan, a resident of Clinton, New York, was apprehended on Sunday on serious charges of making a terroristic threat. The target of his alleged threat was none other than House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, also from New York. Moynihan's arrest was confirmed by the New York State Police (NYSP), jail records, and a CBS News report.
Moynihan was part of the crowd that breached the police line at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., protesting the certification of former President Joe Biden's electoral victory. He was sentenced to 21 months in prison in 2023, only to be pardoned by Trump along with approximately 1,500 other Jan. 6 defendants.
According to CBS News, court documents reveal that Moynihan sent text messages stating that Jeffries was due to deliver a speech in New York City on Monday. In these messages, he allegedly wrote, "I cannot allow this terrorist to live," and "Even if I am hated, he must be eliminated, I will kill him for the future." The FBI, having been alerted to the threat on Saturday, informed the NYSP.
As reported by the Daily Caller, the NYSP did not provide further details about the case, stating that they would not release "details pertaining to the member of Congress." The Daily Caller News Foundation was unable to identify an attorney for Moynihan.
Moynihan's arrest comes approximately one year and seven months after his release from federal custody in relation to his Jan. 6 case. Court documents reveal that Moynihan, along with other protesters, entered the Capitol building after breaching the security perimeter. He was seen rifling through a senator's notebook and taking photographs, reportedly saying, "There's gotta be something in here we can fucking use against these scumbags."
He later pleaded guilty in federal court to obstruction of an official proceeding and several misdemeanors.
The Biden administration's handling of the Jan. 6 prosecutions has been a point of contention among conservatives, who view the sentences as overly harsh, especially considering that many protesters were nonviolent. The Supreme Court sided with some Jan. 6 defendants in June 2024, ruling that the Department of Justice had overstepped its bounds by stretching the meaning of the obstruction of an official proceeding charge to label protesters as felons.
An FBI report released to Congress by the Trump administration suggests that some federal agents believed the Capitol riot investigation was politically motivated. The report found that more than 270 FBI agents were deployed to the scene without clear instructions.
President Trump, on his first day back in office, announced his Jan. 6 pardons, stating, "What they've done to these people is outrageous. We hope they come out tonight. Frankly, they're expecting it." He also commuted the sentences of 14 remaining defendants without granting them pardons.
Moynihan's case highlights the escalating political violence and threats against political figures, a disturbing trend that has been on the rise since the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk on Sept. 10.
On Oct. 10, federal prosecutors announced charges against a man accused of sending death threats to conservative social media influencer Benny Johnson around Sept. 18.
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