Jan. 6 Defendant Pardoned by Trump Charged with Threatening Federal Judges

Cleveland Grover Meredith Jr., a man pardoned by President Donald Trump following his 2021 sentencing related to the January 6 Capitol insurrection, has been charged with threatening to execute federal judges, according to an FBI affidavit filed on October 29.

New Charges for Threatening Judges

The FBI alleges that Meredith posted a threat on Facebook in April stating: “ALL J6 Federal JUDGES will be EXECUTED!” This threat, made from Georgia and directed at officials in Washington, D.C., led to Meredith being charged with interstate communication of threats, a federal felony. The affidavit highlights that Meredith had been previously interviewed by FBI agents twice in 2024 and 2025 over social media posts that appeared threatening.

Background on Meredith’s January 6 Involvement and Pardon

Meredith was sentenced to 28 months in prison in 2021 for threatening to shoot then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in the head. He traveled to Washington, D.C., intending to attend pro-Trump rallies on January 6, 2021, carrying a cache of guns and ammunition, but was delayed by car trouble and arrived a day after the Capitol riot. While there, he texted a family member that he was considering going to Pelosi’s speech to “put a bullet in her noggin on Live TV.” A relative alerted the FBI after hearing these comments, leading to Meredith’s arrest at a D.C. hotel. He pleaded guilty to interstate communication of threats that same year.

Following his sentencing, Meredith was among more than 1,500 individuals pardoned by President Trump in 2021 in relation to January 6 charges. Despite the pardon, Meredith’s public social media posts have remained provocative and threatening. A 2025 profile by The New Yorker revealed Meredith continued demanding compensation from those he blamed for his imprisonment, including family members he labeled as “BRAINWASHED TRAITORS.”

Threats Against Judges in January 6 Cases

Federal judges overseeing January 6-related cases and other cases involving President Trump have reported receiving death threats and intimidation. One woman pleaded guilty to threatening to kill Judge Tanya Chutkan, who presided over Trump’s federal election-interference case. President Trump has criticized the judges involved in January 6 prosecutions, stating in 2025 when announcing his pardons, “They’ve been treated very unfair. The judges have been absolutely brutal. The prosecutors have been brutal. And nobody’s ever treated people in this country like that.”

Meredith’s case is the latest example of legal troubles faced by recipients of President Trump’s sweeping January 6 pardons, with nearly 100 others arrested, charged, or convicted of separate crimes since the Capitol attack.

As federal authorities continue to investigate threats against the judiciary, Meredith’s charges underscore ongoing tensions tied to the aftermath of January 6 and the controversial pardons issued by President Trump.