Christopher Moynihan, a Jan. 6 defendant pardoned by Donald Trump, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor harassment charge after prosecutors said he sent text messages threatening to kill House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Moynihan (identified as 35 in filings) pleaded in Clinton, New York, and will be sentenced in April. He previously received a 21-month prison sentence in February 2023 for convictions that included obstruction of an official proceeding.
Pardoned Jan. 6 Attendee Pleads Guilty After Threatening House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries
FILE PHOTO: U.S. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on day three of a partial government shutdown in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 2, 2026. REUTERS/Al Drago/File Photo
WASHINGTON, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Christopher Moynihan, a participant in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack who was later pardoned by former President Donald Trump, pleaded guilty on Thursday to a misdemeanor harassment charge after prosecutors said he sent text messages threatening to kill U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Moynihan, 35 (some court filings list him as 34), admitted guilt during a hearing in Clinton, New York. He is scheduled to be sentenced in April; his representative could not be reached for comment.
Alleged Threats Cited In Complaint
According to a complaint filed in Clinton state court, Moynihan sent threatening texts ahead of a planned Jeffries appearance in New York City. The complaint quoted the messages as saying:
"Hakeem Jeffries makes a speech in a few days in NYC I cannot allow this terrorist to live. ... I will kill him for the future."
Prosecutors said the texts "placed the recipient in reasonable fear of the imminent murder and assassination of Hakeem Jeffries by the defendant."
"Threats against elected officials are not political speech, they are criminal acts that strike at the heart of public safety and our democratic system," Dutchess County District Attorney Anthony Parisi said in a statement.
Context And Background
In February 2023, Moynihan was sentenced to 21 months in prison on convictions that included obstruction of an official proceeding, a felony. He was among nearly 1,590 people charged after the Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump, an attempt to block certification of President Joe Biden's 2020 election victory.
On his first day back in office last year, Trump issued pardons for nearly everyone charged in the Capitol attack, describing the moves as solidarity with supporters who embraced his false claim of victory in 2020.
A watchdog group has reported that some other Jan. 6 defendants have since been re-arrested, charged, or sentenced for additional crimes.
Moynihan is due to be sentenced in April.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Michael Perry)
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