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Dutchess County man pleads guilty to threatening Rep. Hakeem Jefferies

Prosecutors say Moynihan sent text messages in October calling Jeffries a "terrorist" and saying he could not allow him to live.

Abigail Carmona

Feb 5, 2026, 10:09 PM

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The Dutchess County district attorney says that a Pleasant Valley resident pleaded guilty to aggravated harassment of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Thursday.

Prosecutors say Christopher Moynihan sent text messages in October calling Jeffries a "terrorist" and saying he could not allow him to live.

District Attorney Anthony Parisi said, “Threats against elected officials are not political speech, they are criminal acts that strike at the heart of public safety and our democratic system. My office treats these cases with the utmost seriousness because words intended to intimidate or terrorize can have real-world consequences."

Moynihan previously served a 21-month sentence for storming the United States Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, riots before being pardoned by President Donald Trump.

He is set to be sentenced in April.

The agreed-upon sentence is three years of probation supervision.

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