A Texas man faces federal charges for his suspicion of involvement in the January 6 violent pro-Trump riot on Capitol Hill, as well as for online death threats allegedly made against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Alexandria Ocasio-CortezOcasio-Cortez says lawmakers fear colleagues using firearms in the Chamber Ocasio-Cortez spent the opening night supporting striking workers in New York Budowsky: Democracy won, Trump lost, President Biden took office MORE (DN.Y.) and a Capitol police officer.
According a criminal complaint filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, Garret Miller posted a video of the Capitol on his Twitter page with the caption “From inside congress”. He would also have made several other social media posts indicating his involvement before and after the turmoil.
“I am about to cross the country because of this trump card —,” Miller wrote in a January 2 post, according to the complaint. “Something crazy is going to happen this week. The dollar could collapse … the civil war could start … I’m not sure what to do in DC.”
In the hours after the riot, Miller reportedly responded to a tweet from Ocasio-Cortez that said “Impeach”, indicating the congresswoman’s support for impeachment President Trump
Donald TrumpMcCarthy said he told Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene that he disagreed with his impeachment articles against Biden Biden, Trudeau agrees to meet next month that Trump planned to oust AG to overturn the election results in Georgia: report MORE for his involvement in provoking the riot.
The criminal complaint noted that, in response, Miller wrote “we act with honor and where [sic] not armed ”, and then, in an additional response, added:“ Murder AOC ”.
Miller on social media also voiced his anger at the fatal shooting of one of the protesters, Ashli Babbitt. According to the criminal complaint, Miller threatened to find the Capitol police officer who shot Babbitt and “hugged his neck with a nice rope”.
Days later, Miller allegedly wrote in a Facebook post that the officer “would not survive long” and that he “deserves[s] die ”, adding that it was“ hunting season ”.
Miller was arrested in the Northern District of Texas on Wednesday and made his first appearance in court on Friday, according to Department of Justice Records.
The Texas man faces a total of five charges: illegal entry, violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, obstruction of an official lawsuit and acts of civil disorder and threats made online, according to the court case.
Ocasio-Cortez responded to the accusations on Twitter Friday, specifically citing a tweet in which Miller wrote, “I just wanted to frame myself a little,” after posting a selfie on Capitol.
“Well, you did!” the congresswoman replied.
She added in a follow-up tweet: “On the one hand, you have to laugh and on the other hand, to know that the reason they are so brazen is because they thought they would succeed.”
On the one hand, you have to laugh, and on the other, to know that the reason they were so blatant is because they thought they would succeed.
– Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 23, 2021
As of Saturday, the Justice Department has accused more than 135 individuals of committing crimes on or around Capitol Hill, with more charges expected in the coming weeks and months.
Ocasio-Cortez, who appealed to Trump and his supporters to be held responsible in connection with the riot, revealed last week in an Instagram video that she had a “close encounter” during the riot she feared for her life.
Ocasio-Cortez said he could not disclose details of the meeting “for security reasons”, but stressed that “I thought I was going to die”.