Jan. 6 rioter pardoned by Trump charged with threatening to execute federal judges

A man pardoned by President Donald Trump for his part in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack has been charged with threatening to execute federal judges. The man is Cleveland Grover Meredith Jr. ¹

An FBI affidavit filed on October 29 accuses Meredith of posting on Facebook in April: "ALL J6 Federal JUDGES will be EXECUTED!" ¹ The FBI alleges he made the threat from Georgia against officials in Washington, D.C. ¹

He is charged with interstate communication of threats, which is a federal felony. ¹ These are allegations. Meredith has not been convicted of the new charge, and the sources reviewed do not say how he has responded to it.

Questioned twice before

The affidavit says FBI agents had already interviewed Meredith twice, in 2024 and 2025, about social media posts that appeared to be threatening. ¹

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That history matters. The FBI is the Federal Bureau of Investigation. According to the affidavit, it had contacted him about his online posts before this charge. ¹

The earlier case

Meredith was sentenced in 2021 to 28 months in prison over a threat to shoot then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in the head. ¹ A 2021 BuzzFeed News report said he had texted about "putting a bullet in her noggin on Live TV." ²

The same report said he traveled to Washington with guns and ammunition. It said he was arrested at his hotel after a relative told his mother, who called the FBI. ² His sentence included credit for about 11 months already served and three years of supervised release. ²

At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson said of such messages: "These kinds of statements cannot be shrugged off." ² Meredith told the court he had no intention of acting on his messages and described them as political hyperbole that went too far. ²

The pardon

Meredith later received a presidential pardon, along with more than a thousand others charged in connection with the Capitol attack. ¹ The sources reviewed do not give the date of his pardon.

What happens next

The charge is still at an early stage. The reports reviewed do not say when he will appear in court or whether he is in custody. Prosecutors would have to prove the threat case in court.

Analysis: This is one defendant, so it cannot show that pardons caused a wave of threats. It is still a concrete example. A man whose earlier threat led to prison time is accused of threatening the judges who handle Jan. 6 cases after he was pardoned. Courts depend on judges being able to rule without fear. Threats against them are a test of that principle.

The Record

1. Dec 14, 2021Meredith was sentenced to 28 months in prison over a threat to shoot then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ¹²
2. Apr 1, 2026The FBI says Meredith posted on Facebook in April: "ALL J6 Federal JUDGES will be EXECUTED!" ¹
3. Oct 29, 2026An FBI affidavit was filed charging Meredith with interstate communication of threats ¹

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<h2>Jan. 6 rioter pardoned by Trump charged with threatening to execute federal judges</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Courts Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/jan-6-rioter-pardoned-by-trump-charged-with-threatening-to-execute-federal-judges">The GOP Files</a> on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.</em></p> <p>A man pardoned by President Donald Trump for his part in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack has been charged with threatening to execute federal judges. The man is Cleveland Grover Meredith Jr.</p> <p>An FBI affidavit filed on October 29 accuses Meredith of posting on Facebook in April: &quot;ALL J6 Federal JUDGES will be EXECUTED!&quot; The FBI alleges he made the threat from Georgia against officials in Washington, D.C.</p> <p>He is charged with interstate communication of threats, which is a federal felony. These are allegations. Meredith has not been convicted of the new charge, and the sources reviewed do not say how he has responded to it.</p> <h2>Questioned twice before</h2> <p>The affidavit says FBI agents had already interviewed Meredith twice, in 2024 and 2025, about social media posts that appeared to be threatening.</p> <p>That history matters. The FBI is the Federal Bureau of Investigation. According to the affidavit, it had contacted him about his online posts before this charge.</p> <h2>The earlier case</h2> <p>Meredith was sentenced in 2021 to 28 months in prison over a threat to shoot then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in the head. A 2021 BuzzFeed News report said he had texted about &quot;putting a bullet in her noggin on Live TV.&quot;</p> <p>The same report said he traveled to Washington with guns and ammunition. It said he was arrested at his hotel after a relative told his mother, who called the FBI. His sentence included credit for about 11 months already served and three years of supervised release.</p> <p>At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson said of such messages: &quot;These kinds of statements cannot be shrugged off.&quot; Meredith told the court he had no intention of acting on his messages and described them as political hyperbole that went too far.</p> <h2>The pardon</h2> <p>Meredith later received a presidential pardon, along with more than a thousand others charged in connection with the Capitol attack. The sources reviewed do not give the date of his pardon.</p> <h2>What happens next</h2> <p>The charge is still at an early stage. The reports reviewed do not say when he will appear in court or whether he is in custody. Prosecutors would have to prove the threat case in court.</p> <p>Analysis: This is one defendant, so it cannot show that pardons caused a wave of threats. It is still a concrete example. A man whose earlier threat led to prison time is accused of threatening the judges who handle Jan. 6 cases after he was pardoned. Courts depend on judges being able to rule without fear. Threats against them are a test of that principle.</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/jan-6-rioter-pardoned-by-trump-charged-with-threatening-to-execute-federal-judges">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/jan-6-rioter-pardoned-by-trump-charged-with-threatening-to-execute-federal-judges.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. Newsweek, “Jan. 6 Defendant Pardoned by Trump Charged With Threatening To Kill Judges” (2026-11-03). newsweek.com/jan-6-defendant-pardoned-by-trump-charged-threa
2. BuzzFeed News, “A Man Who Texted About "Putting A Bullet" In Nancy Pelosi's Head After Jan. 6 Was Sentenced To 28 Months In Prison” (2021-12-14). buzzfeednews.com/article/zoetillman/man-texted-shooting-pelo

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