Trump Jan. 6 pardon recipient charged with Jeffries death threat

A New York man who received a pardon from President Donald Trump for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol has been charged with threatening to kill House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Christopher Moynihan, 34, of Clinton, is charged with making a terroristic threat against Jeffries, New York State Police said. He is being held in lieu of a $10,000 cash bail.

Moynihan, in August 2022, pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor counts and was convicted at a stipulated trial of one felony count in connection with his role in the Capitol riot by a mob of Trump supporters.

He was sentenced in February 2023 to 21 months in prison and surrendered the following month. He was released after serving 12 months while he appealed his conviction of the felony count.

A sentencing memo filed by federal prosecutors in Moynihan’s case included surveillance photos of him entering the Senate chamber on Jan. 6 with other rioters, and said that he rifled through papers left on senators’ desks that referred to what had been the ongoing certification of former President Joe Biden’s victory in the Electoral College in the 2020 election.

“There’s gotta be something in here we can f—ing use against these scumbags,” Moynihan said as he looked at those papers, prosecutors wrote.

Moynihan was one of about 1,500 people charged with Jan. 6-related crimes who were pardoned by Trump on his first day back in the White House on Jan. 20, 2025.

His arrest for allegedly threatening Jeffries was first reported by CBS News.

“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,” said Jeffries, who represents a district in New York City, in a statement.

“The person arrested, along with thousands of violent felons who stormed the US Capitol during the January 6th attack, was pardoned by Donald Trump on the President’s very first day in office,” Jeffries said.

“Since the blanket pardon that occurred earlier this year, many of the criminals released have committed additional crimes throughout the country,” Jeffries said. “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.” 

This is developing news. Check back for updates.