A New York man, who was among the hundreds of Trump-supporting marauders who besieged the Capitol building on Wednesday night, is the son of a federal judge. Aaron Mostofsky, who was pictured on Wednesday in multiple photos dressed in fur pelts and a bullet proof vest, is the son of Shlomo Mostofsky, a Brooklyn Supreme Court judge, according to reports.
Mostofsky was among the first who joined an early wave of rioters who swarmed the halls of Congress, forcing lawmakers to evacuate before certifying Joe Biden's election victory. He was pictured in widely circulated photographs while walking down the stairs outside the Senate Chamber in the bizarre outfit while also carrying a walking stick.
Masked Identity
According to reports, Mostofsky is an ardent Trump asupporter and came to Washington all the way from New York only to show his support for the outgoing President. In one of the widely circulated photos on social media, Mostofsky is seen walking just ahead of a man carrying the confederate flag.
He told The New York Post: "The election was stolen." In one of the videos, he can be seen holding a police riot shield as a mob of rioters swarmed the building. Mostofsky, however, said that he found the riot shield on the floor, while declining to reveal his identity to the media outlet.
"We were cheated. I don't think 75 million people voted for Trump — I think it was close to 85 million," Mostofsky told the Post. "I think certain states that have been red for a long time turned blue and were stolen, like New York."
Blind Supporter
Aaron Mostofsky's father, Shlomo Mostofsky, is a prominent modern Orthodox figure in Brooklyn and former president of the National Council of Young Israel. He was elected to the Kings County Supreme Court last January with the backing of the Brooklyn Democratic Party.
His brother, Nachman Mostofsky, who is vice president of the South Brooklyn Conservative Club, and an elected district leader in the borough, also reportedly was part of the crowd and attended the rally. However, he is said to have left before the supported barged into the Capitol building. Shlomo Mostofsky couldn't immediately be reached for comment but Nachman told the Post: "My brother did nothing illegal...He definitely was not part of the riot."
Much like the vast majority of those who breached the Capitol, Mostofsky was permitted to leave without arrest. The Wednesday night riot left four people dead, including one woman, Ashli Babbit, who was shot by police in the Capitol building.
Multiple members of Congress said they feared for their lives during the insurrection, which was led in part by extremist factions of the Republican party, including Proud Boys and QAnon supporters. Several people also wore attire bearing references to the Holocaust.
