Queens court employee charged with threatening to kill AOC, Schumer and Pelosi
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Ridgewood resident Brendan Hunt used social media to call for the “public execution” and “slaughter” of Democratic lawmakers, including Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, according to a criminal complaint. AP Photo/John Minchillo
By David Brand and Rachel Vick
A 37-year-old Queens-based court employee accused of threatening to “slaughter” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Sen. Chuck Schumer and other Democratic lawmakers was denied bail by a federal magistrate judge Tuesday.
Brendan Hunt, an assistant court analyst in the Office of Court Administration’s attorney registration unit, used Facebook to call for the “public execution” of Democratic members of Congress, according to a criminal complaint. FBI agents arrested Hunt at his home on Gates Avenue in Ridgewood Monday.
“Trump, we want actual revenge on democrats. Meaning, we want you to hold a public execution of pelosi aoc schumer etc. And if you dont do it, the citizenry will. We're not voting in another rigged election. Start up the firing squads, mow down these commies, and lets take america back!” he wrote on Facebook Dec. 6 under the alias “X-Ray Ultra”.
Hunt lives in Ridgewood and worked out of OCA’s offices on Beaver Street in Manhattan, an official said.
His extremist rants continued on his personal website and other social media platforms, including Parler and the video-sharing site Bitchute, spurring an investigation by federal authorities, prosecutors said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kessler detailed the “chilling series of calls for direct violence against members of Congress” during Hunt’s arraignment in Brooklyn federal court Tuesday.
Two days after far-right extremists stormed the U.S. Capitol building, Hunt posted an 88-second video on Bitchute urging followers to “Kill your senators,” the complaint states. His website and video-sharing account, threaded with bizarre conspiracy theories and anti-Semitic content, were still active Tuesday afternoon.
Federal Magistrate Judge Ramon Reyes denied Hunt’s bail application based on the “nature and seriousness of danger to the community, in particular, the legislative community elected officials.”
Hunt’s attorney Leticia Olivera of the Federal Defenders urged the judge to set bail because Hunt has no criminal history and was not a flight risk. Hunt’s father had agreed to post bail for him, she said.
“This is someone born and raised in Queens, who has lived there his whole life,” Olivera said.
“Without seeking to undermine the seriousness of the allegations of the complaint, there is no allegation that he has use or ownership of weapons, militia membership, friends in DC or some contact with federal officials,” she added.
Hunt will have an opportunity to appeal the judge’s bail decision.
An Office of Court Administration spokesperson said Hunt was suspended without pay.
Hunt is the second man from Western Queens arrested after a federal investigation into alleged online threats against Democratic leaders in the past week.
Software engineer Eduard Florea was charged Jan. 13 with being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition after FBI agents searched his Middle Village home following threats he allegedly made on Parler.
FBI agents seized 1,000 rounds of rifle ammunition, 2,000 rounds of shotgun ammo, 75 “military-style” combat knives, two hatchets and two swords from the home, according to his criminal complaint. Florea had a past weapons charge and is barred from possessing ammunition.
