Trump-Pardoned Jan. 6 Defendant Charged Over Threat to Judges
On November 3, 2026, Cleveland Grover Meredith Jr. faced a new federal charge over a Facebook post that allegedly threatened to execute federal judges. The complaint, filed in federal court in Atlanta on October 29, accuses the 58-year-old Georgia man of transmitting threats across state lines. A judge found probable cause, and Meredith was arrested and held in U.S. Marshals custody pending a detention hearing.
The post, dated April 23, read: “ALL J6 Federal JUDGES will be EXECUTED!” The FBI said the message appeared aimed at judges in Washington, D.C., and that records from Meta, Google and T-Mobile linked the account to Meredith. A tip about the post reached the FBI on the day it appeared.
The complaint says FBI agents had interviewed Meredith twice about other social media posts that appeared threatening, in November 2024 and August 2025. Prosecutors also cited October posts about the midterms, including a warning that “firing squads” would begin on November 4, and a message calling the midterms an “absolute MASSACRE.” Those posts are described in a separate detention motion.
Meredith admitted guilt in 2021 to making threats across state lines after texting a relative that he would “put a bullet” in the head of the House’s then-leader, Nancy Pelosi. He had traveled to Washington on January 6 carrying firearms and ammunition, according to the complaint, and was sentenced to 28 months in prison. President Donald Trump pardoned him in January 2025 as part of a clemency order covering nearly 1,600 people facing charges related to the Capitol attack.
Trump-Pardoned Jan. 6 Defendant Faces New Threat Charge
A man pardoned by Donald Trump after his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack is now charged with threatening federal judges. Cleveland Grover Meredith Jr., 58, faces an interstate-threats charge over an April Facebook post that said the judges “will be EXECUTED!” A judge found probable cause, and Meredith was arrested and held pending a detention hearing.
The case puts the consequences of Trump’s sweeping Jan. 6 clemency back in focus. Meredith had admitted guilt in 2021 to threatening the House’s then-leader, Nancy Pelosi, after texting a relative that he would “put a bullet” in her head. He received a 28-month sentence and was later pardoned along with nearly 1,600 people facing charges related to the Capitol attack.
The FBI says records from Meta, Google and T-Mobile tied the account behind the April post to Meredith, and that it received a tip on the day the post appeared. Agents had also interviewed him twice about other social media posts that appeared threatening.
Prosecutors cite additional October messages about the midterms, including a warning that “firing squads” would begin November 4. Those allegations appear in a separate detention motion. The new case tests whether the pardon’s political protection can be kept distinct from accountability for alleged threats made afterward.
Federal Threat Case Targets Trump-Pardoned Jan. 6 Defendant
Cleveland Grover Meredith Jr. has been charged over a Facebook post threatening federal judges, a serious allegation now before the courts. The 58-year-old Georgia man was pardoned by Donald Trump in January 2025 for his Jan. 6-related offenses; the new charge concerns a post from April, not the conduct covered by that pardon.
The post allegedly said, “ALL J6 Federal JUDGES will be EXECUTED!” The complaint says a judge found probable cause, and that records from Meta, Google and T-Mobile connected the account to Meredith. He was arrested and held pending a detention hearing. Prosecutors also point to other October posts about the midterms in a separate motion seeking his detention.
Meredith’s earlier conviction involved a threat against the House’s then-leader, Nancy Pelosi. He admitted guilt to making threats across state lines in 2021 and was sentenced to 28 months in prison before receiving Trump’s clemency along with nearly 1,600 people facing charges related to the Capitol attack.
The allegations should be assessed through the evidence and the court process. The fact that Meredith was pardoned for earlier offenses does not resolve whether prosecutors can prove this new charge; the complaint’s claims remain allegations as the case proceeds.
Reported by Newsweek, Raw Story, The Daily Beast, The New Republic, The Guardian US, Atlanta News First, The Washington Examiner, Daily Kos.
