Daijiworld Media Network - New York

New York, Feb 6: A January 6, 2021 Capitol rioter who was pardoned by US President Donald Trump has pleaded guilty to a harassment charge after being accused of threatening to kill US House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, prosecutors said on Thursday.

Christopher Moynihan, 35, entered a guilty plea to a misdemeanor harassment charge during a hearing in Clinton, New York, and is scheduled to be sentenced in April. His legal representative could not be immediately reached for comment.

Dutchess County District Attorney Anthony Parisi said threats against elected officials undermine democracy and public safety. “Threats against elected officials are not political speech; they are criminal acts that strike at the heart of public safety and our democratic system,” Parisi said in a statement.

Moynihan was charged in October after allegedly sending threatening text messages related to an appearance Jeffries was scheduled to make in New York City. According to the court complaint, the messages stated that Moynihan could not allow Jeffries “to live” and explicitly threatened to kill him.

Prosecutors said the messages placed the recipient in reasonable fear of an imminent attack on the Democratic leader.

In February 2023, Moynihan had been sentenced to 21 months in prison on charges including obstruction of an official proceeding for his role in the January 6 Capitol attack. He was among nearly 1,590 individuals charged for storming the US Capitol in an attempt to block the certification of Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election.

Trump, upon returning to office last year, issued pardons to nearly all individuals criminally charged in connection with the Capitol assault. However, several January 6 rioters have since been re-arrested or prosecuted for unrelated offences, according to a watchdog group.