Charges: GOP Donor Used Wasp Spray in Capitol Attack

Online sleuths identified Peter Moloney to FBI two years ago
By Bob Cronin,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 7, 2023 6:30 PM CDT
Charges: GOP Donor Used Wasp Spray in Capitol Attack
Peter Moloney, of Moloney Family Funeral Homes in Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y., rides his Harley-Davidson hearse in 2007.   (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

A prominent Republican donor has been charged with spraying wasp insecticide at police officers guarding the US Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack. Peter Moloney, 58, was arrested Wednesday in Bayport, New York, CBS News reports. He's charged in Washington, DC, with eight counts, including civil disorder, assaulting a member of the media, and assaulting and resisting police officers. "Moloney did not simply march to the Capitol with other protestors," an FBI agent stated in an affidavit, per NBC News. "He brought protective eyewear, a helmet, and a can of Black Flag Wasp, Hornet & Yellow Jacket Killer."

Moloney co-owns a chain of Long Island funeral homes. Campaign finance data show he's donated thousands of dollars to former President Donald Trump, the Republican National Committee, and other GOP candidates and causes. Charging documents say Moloney's son went to the Capitol with him, but he has not been charged. Dan Moloney, the other company owner, issued a statement to NBC saying, "The alleged actions taken by an individual on his own time are in no way reflective of the core values of Moloney Funeral Home."

An online network called Sedition Hunters that's identified hundreds of Capitol rioters tied Moloney to the attack two years ago. Members have been critical of the FBI over the fact that Moloney had not been arrested, expressing frustration that he's posted about vacations he's taken while others were charged and convicted. Prosecutors acknowledged the Sedition Hunters' help. Moloney's bond was set Wednesday at $100,000, per News 12 Long Island. He did not answer reporters' questions as he left federal court in Central Islip. (More Capitol riot stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X