Pardoned Capitol Rioter Threatened To Kill Hakeem Jeffries 

Over the last month, the Trump administration has repeatedly used the death of Charlie Kirk to frame political violence as being exclusively perpetrated by those on the left. The DOJ even deleted a report from its website that overwhelmingly attributed political violence to far-right extremists. This narrative completely ignores the fact that just this year, Vance Boelter, an evangelical conservative, shot and killed Democratic Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark. Reality has once again combated the GOP’s narrative as a pardoned Capitol rioter was arrested over the weekend for allegedly threatening to kill House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. 

According to CBS News, New York State Police arrested Christopher Moynihan on Sunday after he allegedly sent a text saying he planned to “eliminate” Hakeem Jeffries during a speaking engagement at the Economic Club of New York. A court filing by prosecutors revealed that in one of the text messages, Moynihan wrote, “Hakeem Jeffries makes a speech in a few days in NYC, I cannot allow this terrorist to live.” Moynihan allegedly added, “Even if I am hated, he must be eliminated, I will kill him for the future,” according to the filing.

Moynihan was arraigned on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of making a terroristic threat. A judge remanded him to the Dutchess County Justice and Transition Center “in lieu of $10,000 cash bail, a $30,000 bond, or an $80,000 partially secured bond.” Moynihan has another court appearance set for Thursday. 

In August 2022, Moynihan was found guilty of obstructing an official proceeding and pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor charges related to the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Surveillance footage showed Moynihan among a small group of rioters on the Senate floor during the riot. 

“While inside, Moynihan rifled through a notebook on top of a Senator’s desk, saying ‘There’s gotta be something in here we can f*cking use against these scumbags,'” prosecutors argued in Moynihan’s sentencing memorandum. They added he “occupied the dais of the Senate” and

wouldn’t leave until police made him. He was sentenced to 21 months in prison in February 2023. Moynihan was among the 1,500 Capitol rioters President Donald Trump pardoned within hours of taking office. 

Hakeem Jeffries released a statement on Tuesday addressing the death threat. “I am grateful to state and federal law enforcement for their swift and decisive action to apprehend a dangerous individual who made a credible death threat against me with every intention to carry it out,” Jeffries wrote. 

“Since the blanket pardon that occurred earlier this year, many of the criminals released have committed additional crimes throughout the country. Unfortunately, our brave men and women in law enforcement are being forced to spend their time keeping our communities safe from these violent individuals who should never have been pardoned,” he added. 

As Jeffries alluded to in his statement, Moynihan is far from the first Capitol rioter to get into legal trouble after being pardoned. There was Matthew Huttle, a Capitol rioter who was fatally shot by police after allegedly raising a firearm during a traffic stop, only a week after being pardoned. There was also Zachary Alam, who was arrested and charged with breaking and entering only weeks after being pardoned for his role in the Capitol riot.

Man. It’s almost like blind pardons shouldn’t have been given to a group of people who thought the appropriate response to losing an election was storming the Capitol. Just a thought. 

SEE ALSO:

A Former Jan. 6 Defendant Who Urged Rioters To ‘Kill’ Cops Is Now A Justice Department Senior Advisor. Surprised?

The Racist Legacy Of The Capitol Riots