Capitol Rioter Charged With Threatening to 'Assassinate' Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

A Texas man is facing several charges related to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, including [...]

By Daniel S. Levine

A Texas man is facing several charges related to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, including making threats. Garrett A. Miller, 34, of Richardson, Texas allegedly made death threats in social media posts after the riot, including one calling for the assassination of U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, the FBI said. Miller also called for the murder of a "traitor cop," referring to the U.S. Capitol Police officer who shot a woman rioter who later died from her wounds. He is at least the sixth person from North Texas facing charges related to the riot, reports the Dallas Morning News.

Miller published posts on social media indicated that he planned to drive to Washington, D.C. for President Donald Trump's Jan. 6 rally, which began just as Congress began certifying President Joe Biden's Electoral College victory. He claimed to be carrying a rope in his bag that day and said the last time he went to Washington for a Trump rally, he carried "a lot of guns," according to the FBI.

In one Facebook post, Miller wrote that the "dollar might collapse" and "civil war could start." He also corrected people who claimed "Antifa" and "paid infiltrators" stormed the Capitol. "Nah we stormed it," Miller wrote, according to a federal complaint. The FBI saw Miller's posts two days after the riot. He shared videos from inside the Capitol Rotunda. One 14-second clip showed the crowd waving "pro-Trump and American flags," according to the complaint. There is also a video of Miller among the crowd pushing into the Capitol entrance, past Capitol Police officer, the FBI said.

Miller also wrote about the fatal shooting of rioter Ashli Babbitt by a Capitol Police officer. "We going to get a hold of [the officer] and hug his neck with a nice rope," he allegedly wrote in one post. He later called the officer a "traitor" and wrote that he was "not going to survive long," the FBI says. "He shot first. His death prevents civil war," Miller allegedly wrote.

Miller is now in federal custody. He was charged with "knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted buildings or grounds without lawful authority; violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds; obstructing or impeding any official proceeding; certain acts during civil disorder; and making threats."

Milley's lawyer, Clint Broden, told CNN Miller "certainly regrets what he did." Broden added, "He did it in support of former President (Donald) Trump, but regrets his actions. He has the support of his family, and a lot of the comments, as viewed in context, are really sort of misguided political hyperbole. Given the political divide these days, there is a lot of hyperbole."

Ocasio-Ortiz tweeted Friday night following Miller's arrest: "On one hand you have to laugh, and on the other know that the reason they were this brazen is because they thought they were going to succeed."

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