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The man’s lawyer said his actions were a “misguided effort” to support Trump.
A man who allegedly threatened online to “assassinate” Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, DN.Y., faces five counts in connection with the U.S. Capitol uprising, authorities said.
Garret Miller was arrested Wednesday in Texas. His charges include threats, a violent entry and disorderly conduct on the Capitol grounds. A detention hearing is scheduled for January 25.
Recently released court documents chronicle a series of social media posts Miller allegedly made on January 6 and in the days following the riot, including threats against the Democratic lawmaker, a regular Tory target, and an officer of the United States Capitol Police.
“Assassinate AOC,” Miller tweeted Jan.6 in response to a call by Ocasio-Cortez to impeach former President Donald Trump, according to the criminal complaint.
In a Facebook chat on Jan. 10 about the Capitol Police officer who shot dead a rioter, Miller reportedly said, “We’re going to get our hands on [the USCP officer] And tighten his neck with a beautiful rope[.]”
On January 11, Miller reportedly posted a selfie of himself inside the Capitol Rotunda on Facebook. When someone commented on the post, “Brother did you come in ?! Good!” Miller replied, “I just wanted to self-incriminate a little lol,” according to the affidavit.
Days after the Capitol siege, Miller “admitted on Instagram that he had a rope [his] that day, ”the affidavit states.
Miller’s Twitter account has been suspended and his Facebook page has been deleted. The FBI affidavit included screenshots of social media posts they attributed to Miller and footage from surveillance video that allegedly placed him in the Capitol building on January 6.
In a statement to ABC News, Miller’s attorney said his client “regrets his actions in a misguided effort to show his support for former President Trump.”
“His comments on social media reflect very thoughtless political hyperbole in very divided times and will certainly not be repeated in the future,” lawyer Clint Broden said in the statement. “He accepts responsibility for his actions.”
Responding to the news of Miller’s arrest, Ocasio-Cortez tweeted: “On the one hand you have to laugh, and on the other hand knowing that the reason they were so cheeky is that they thought that they were going to be successful. “
Ocasio-Cortez opened up about the threat to Representatives in a live Instagram broadcast on January 12, saying she “had a very close encounter where I thought I was going to die.”
“Maybe my colleagues weren’t fully present for Wednesday’s events, but half of – we got to almost half of the House close to dying on Wednesday,” Ocasio-Cortez said in an interview on “ This week with George Stephanopoulos “January. ten.
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