A man previously pardoned by former President Donald Trump for his involvement in the January 6 Capitol riot is now facing serious accusations. Christopher Moynihan, 34, is alleged to have threatened the life of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
According to a felony complaint submitted in New York state court, Moynihan reportedly sent a series of menacing text messages concerning Jeffries. These messages were allegedly sent just days before Jeffries was scheduled to make a public appearance in New York City.
The complaint reveals the chilling content of the texts, in which Moynihan purportedly wrote, “Hakeem Jeffries makes a speech in a few days in NYC I cannot allow this terrorist to live…. Even if I am hated he must be eliminated…. I will kill him for the future.”
While the identity of the recipient of these messages remains undisclosed, the gravity of the threats has prompted legal action. These texts were reportedly dispatched last Friday, further intensifying the situation.
Recently, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York, addressed reporters on the House steps during the 16th day of the government shutdown at the Capitol in Washington. The threats against him have added another layer of tension to the already charged political climate.
The messages were allegedly sent on Friday.
“These text messages placed the recipient in reasonable fear of the imminent murder and assassination of Hakeem Jeffries by the defendant,” the complaint said.
A scene from the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol in 2021. (Julio Cortez, File)
Jeffries, who represents New York’s 8th congressional district, has been the top-ranking Democrat in the House since 2022.
In February 2023, Moynihan was sentenced to 21 months in prison on charges including obstruction of an official proceeding, a felony. He was among nearly 1,590 people charged in the storming of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump who opposed the certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory.
Moynihan was “fully pardoned by President Trump 1/20/25 for his role in the Capitol Riots,” an extreme risk protection order background report filed in Dutchess County on Saturday noted.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., right, talk with reporters following their meeting with President Donald Trump and Republican leaders on the government funding crisis, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (J. Scott Applewhite)
Moynihan is due back in court on Thursday.
“Threats made against elected officials and members of the public will not be tolerated,” Dutchess County District Attorney Anthony Parisi said. “We will pursue every available investigative and prosecutorial tool to hold responsible parties accountable, protect potential victims, and deter future violence.”
