(2021-05-03) Trial Opens For Trump Supporter Accused Of Threatening Democrats In Case Tied To Jan6 Insurrection

Trial opens for Donald Trump supporter accused of threatening Democrats in case tied to Jan. 6 insurrection. (2021 Storming of the US Capitol) An enthusiastic supporter of former president Donald Trump who is facing federal charges that he threatened to kill prominent Democrats in the days surrounding the Jan. 6 insurrection did nothing more than make inflammatory statements online that are commonplace "in the Twittersphere," the man's attorney argued Wednesday at the start of his trial in Brooklyn.

Brendan Hunt, 37, is believed to be the first defendant to stand trial in a case authorities have connected to the failed bid by hundreds of Trump supporters to prevent Congress from counting the electoral-college votes affirming his defeat in November. Although Hunt did not join those who stormed the U.S. Capitol, prosecutors say he advocated deadly violence against lawmakers, including Senate Majority Leaders Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).

Rostal suggested that her client’s Internet chatter was constitutionally protected speech and was not to be taken seriously

She pointed to Hunt’s behavior at the end of an 88-second video — titled “KILL YOUR SENATORS: Slaughter them all” — posted two days after the Capitol riot. Rostal likened Hunt’s performance to that of a famous comedic actor who often breaks character during skits on live television.

Investigators who searched Hunt’s apartment in Queens found marijuana, beer bottles and comic books — but no weapons

Prosecutors argued the opposite. “The defendant’s threats were specific, they were scary and they were violent,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco J. Navarro told the jury. “It’s a federal crime to threaten to kill a member of Congress for doing their job.”

At the time of his arrest in late January, Hunt was a state court employee and a part-time actor and filmmaker.

Hunt’s fixation with Democratic leaders was seen in his online postings as early as Dec. 6, when he allegedly called for the “public execution” of Pelosi, Ocasio-Cortez and Schumer on Facebook — and asked Trump to carry out the act, authorities say. “And if you dont do it, the citizenry will,” he added, according to the criminal complaint against him.

The insurrection seemed to energize Hunt, who in his video encouraged his social media followers to return to the Capitol with weapons “when all of the Senators and a lot of the Representatives are back there,” the complaint says.