New York police arrested Christopher Moynihan this week, one of the convicted for storming the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and who was one of the 1,600 pardoned this year by Donald Trump for death threats against the minority leader of the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries.
New York State Police and the Poughkeepsie Criminal Investigation Office, in collaboration with the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, explained that last Saturday, federal agents tracking such threats informed local authorities that Moynihan, a resident in another town in New York State, had speculated about targeting the congressman in various communications with family and friends, and that in text messages on his phone, he made references to a specific event that Jeffries was going to attend on Monday.
The details made public were very explicit. "He will be in New York (...) I cannot allow this terrorist to live (...) Even if they hate me, he must be eliminated; I will kill him for the future," he said in several of them. According to court documents, state police requested a temporary order for "extreme risk" against Moynihan, restricting his access to firearms and ammunition, as he is considered "likely to harm himself or others." The person who reported Moynihan to the FBI, whose name has not been disclosed, also "expressed concern about the abuse of narcotics and the increase in homicidal ideas" of the arrested individual, according to the documents.
Following the murder of activist Charlie Kirk a few weeks ago, and that of a Democratic state senator from Minnesota in the summer, federal agencies are on high alert. "After a thorough investigation, Moynihan was arrested and appeared before the Clinton City Court. He was remanded in custody at the Dutchess County Justice and Transition Center with a cash bail of $10,000 or a partially secured bond of $80,000." The detainee will appear in court again this Thursday.
In a statement, Jeffries, who is the leader of his party in the Lower House, stated that he was grateful to state and federal law enforcement for their "swift and decisive action to stop a dangerous individual who made a credible death threat against me with the full intention of carrying it out." "The person arrested, along with thousands of violent criminals who stormed the Capitol of the United States during the January 6 attack, were pardoned by Donald Trump on the first day of the president's term... Unfortunately, our brave law enforcement officers are forced to spend their time keeping our communities safe from these violent individuals who should never have been pardoned," Jeffries lamented.
Moynihan became one of the recognizable faces of the assault because he appeared in images alongside Jacob Chansley, the Qanon conspiracy theory shaman with bison horns that went viral worldwide. Videos and photographs place him in the offices of some senators, stealing papers and destroying property. He was charged with obstructing an official proceeding and was found guilty of five misdemeanor offenses related to his actions during the Capitol attack, so he was sentenced to 21 months in prison in February 2023.
He is not the first pardoned individual with legal issues. In late January, Matthew J. Huttle, who had served his sentence, was shot by an Indiana sheriff during an arrest attempt. In February, former Proud Boys leader Henry Enrique Tarrio was arrested by the United States Capitol Police after an incident with a woman in the capital, but the prosecution, led by a Trump ally, did not press charges. Tarrio has had various clashes since, including with one of the Capitol officers who was injured on January 6, whom he tried to intimidate at an event in a hotel.
In May, Zachary Alam, who assaulted police at the Capitol on January 6 and broke the glass through which another assailant, Ashli Babbitt, climbed to enter the institution before being shot by security forces, was arrested for burglary, reports The Washington Post.