World News | Man Linked to US Capitol Riot Convicted of Threats to Lawmakers
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. A social media agitator was convicted on federal charges of threatening to kill members of Congress in a verdict that rejected his claims it was harmless rhetoric.
New York, Apr 29 (AP) A social media agitator was convicted on federal charges of threatening to kill members of Congress in a verdict that rejected his claims it was harmless rhetoric.
A jury found Brendan Hunt guilty at the close of a weeklong trial in federal court in Brooklyn on Wednesday.
Hunt, 37, did not deny creating a series of menacing-sounding posts. But he testified that they were often put together while impaired from smoking pot with a bong and drinking beer, and never thought they would be taken seriously.
“I wrote a lot of things I didn't mean,” Hunt said, calling himself “immature” and “very irresponsible.”
He added: “I just feel terrible about how I expressed myself.”
The verdict came in a case where prosecutors linked Hunt to the siege at the US Capitol on Jan. 6 to his brand of extremism. He wasn't there, but admitted posting videos and other materials expressing support for the violent mob.
Hunt — a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, avid comic book collector and an analyst for the New York court system — had pleaded not guilty to charges alleging, in part, that he called for the “public execution” of Democratic US Reps. Nancy Pelosi and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and US Sen. Charles Schumer.
Prosecutors say it was part of a monthlong online campaign to urge violence against members of Congress that culminated with a January 8 video titled: “Kill your senators. Slaughter them all.”
Defence attorneys had called the charges overblown. They argued Hunt's posts were protected free speech and that there was no proof that he was a legitimate threat.
The trial featured testimony from a Capitol Police officer about the mayhem on January 6.
A message was left with one of Hunt's lawyers on Wednesday. (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)