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Texas man charged in Capitol riot tweeted 'Assassinate AOC,' FBI affidavit says

The 34-year-old man’s lawyer says he regrets the actions he took 'in a misguided effort to show his support for former President Trump.'

DALLAS — A 34-year-old Texas man has been arrested for allegedly taking part in the storming of the U.S. Capitol this month and posting violent threats, including a call to assassinate Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.

Garret Miller, who is from the Dallas suburb of Richardson, was arrested Friday after being named in a five-count federal complaint.

Authorities allege that Miller posted photos and videos on his social media accounts that show him inside the Capitol during the Jan. 6 storming of the building by supporters of then-President Donald Trump. They also say he called for violence in online posts, including a tweet that simply read “Assassinate AOC,” a reference to the liberal Ocasio-Cortez.

In another tweet, Miller posted: “They are right next time we bring the guns," an FBI agent wrote in an affidavit.

Credit: FBI
The FBI says surveillance video shows Garret Miller inside the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on Jan. 6, 2021.

Miller also threatened a U.S. Capitol police officer during an exchange on Instagram, writing that he planned to “hug his neck with a nice rope," the affidavit states.

After posting a photo on Facebook showing him inside the Capitol, Miller responded to a comment on the picture with: “just want to incriminate myself a little lol," according to an FBI affidavit.

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Ocasio-Cortez on Friday posted Miller's charging documents on Twitter and then tweeted: “On one hand you have to laugh, and on the other know that the reason they were this brazen is because they thought they were going to succeed."

Miller's attorney, Clint Broden, said in an email to The Associated Press that Miller regrets the actions he took “in a misguided effort to show his support for former President Trump."

Credit: AP
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., attends a House Oversight Committee hearing on high prescription drugs prices shortly after her private meeting with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, July 26, 2019. The high-profile freshman and the veteran Pelosi have been critical of one another recently. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

“His social media comments reflect very ill-considered political hyperbole in very divided times and will certainly not be repeated in the future," Broden said. “He looks forward to putting all of this behind him."

Miller is scheduled for a detention hearing on Monday.

“We are hopeful that, given his family support and regret for his actions, he will be released so that he can resolve the charges against him in a timely fashion," Broden said.

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