He stormed the Capitol.

He was pardoned.

Now he’s accused of threatening to assassinate House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Christopher Moynihan, one of more than 1,500 Capitol rioters granted a blanket pardon by President Trump, was arrested again this week after allegedly texting that he would “eliminate” Jeffries before a public event in New York.

He’s now charged with making a terroristic threat — a felony.

This isn’t just disturbing. It’s part of a dangerous pattern:

Other pardoned Capitol rioters have since been arrested for crimes ranging from armed confrontations with police to breaking and entering. Moynihan is the first to be charged with a threat against a sitting member of Congress — but he may not be the last.

We can’t treat this like ordinary criminal behavior. These are repeat political extremists emboldened by clemency and motivated by ideology. The threat to elected officials — and to democracy itself — is growing.

We call on:

• New York State prosecutors and judges to pursue the maximum sentence allowable under law for Moynihan’s charges;
• The FBI and DOJ to investigate whether this qualifies as domestic terrorism;
• Congress to examine the dangers of blanket political pardons for violent offenders — and pass legislation to prevent future abuse.
   

Pardons should not be a pathway to reoffending.

Political violence must be met with real consequences.

And threatening the life of a public official should be grounds for the harshest legal penalty possible.

Sign this petition to demand full accountability — and to protect public servants from those who would harm them.