A previously convicted January 6 attacker, who received a pardon from President Trump, has been taken into custody after allegedly sending text messages threatening the life of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
The individual, identified as Christopher P. Moynihan, 34, from Clinton, New York, was charged with making terroristic threats after communications surfaced expressing intent to kill Jeffries during a scheduled New York appearance. Moynihan’s prior involvement in the Capitol Riot included breaching security barriers, entering the Senate chamber, and obstructing Congress’s certification of the 2020 election.
After being convicted and sentenced to 21 months in prison in 2022, Moynihan was among the thousands pardoned on January 20, 2025. Authorities emphasize that the current threat level was triggered by his text messages, which said, in part, “I cannot allow this terrorist to live… he must be eliminated.”
Jeffries responded by commending law-enforcement efforts and criticizing the earlier mass pardon of violent offenders, saying the move threatens public safety and undermines accountability. Moynihan remains in custody awaiting further proceedings.