Pardoned Capitol Rioter Arrested For Threatening To Kill Democrat Leader Jeffries

Last Updated:October 22, 2025, 01:51 IST

Christopher Moynihan, pardoned by Trump for the 2021 Capitol riot, was arrested for threatening to kill House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in New York. He pleaded not guilty.

Christopher Moynihan is one of the top Democrat leader. (AFP/X)

A 34-year-old man, who was pardoned by US President Donald Trump for his role in the 2021 Capitol riot, has been charged for threatening to kill the top Democrat in the House of Representatives.

According to BBC, Christopher Moynihan was arrested in the town of Clinton, New York, for making a terroristic threat to kill a member of Congress, New York State Police said. He has pleaded not guilty.

He had allegedly planned to target House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries during an upcoming speech to the Economic Club of New York, CBS News cited court filings.

“I cannot allow this terrorist to live," he allegedly wrote in text messages.

He also wrote: “Even if I am hated, [Jeffries] must be eliminated, I will kill him for the future."

Jeffries is the lead contender for the post of Speaker if Democrats take control of the House.

He thanked police and federal agents for apprehending “a dangerous individual who made a credible death threat against me with every intention to carry it out".

“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.

According to BBC, Moynihan was sentenced to 21 months in prison in 2023 for breaching the Capitol on January 6, 2021, as part of the mob seeking to stop Congress from certifying that Joe Biden had won the 2020 election and to keep Trump in power.

On Trump’s first day back in office, he pardoned Moynihan and over 1,000 other riot defendants while calling them “hostages" whose lives had been “destroyed". BBC reported that several other pardoned rioters have also since been arrested for a variety of charges.

Moynihan is scheduled to appear for a hearing in court on Thursday.

News world Pardoned Capitol Rioter Arrested For Threatening To Kill Democrat Leader Jeffries

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