US woman sentenced to six years in prison over plot to kill treasury secretary

Boston, Massachusetts – A 26-year-old transgender woman has been sentenced to six years and one month in prison for plotting to kill U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Riley English admitted to bringing homemade firebombs to the U.S. Capitol in January 2025 with the intent to harm Bessent on the day of his Senate confirmation hearing.

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I never wanted to hurt anyone. I’m not a political person. I’m not a violent person.

During the sentencing, English told U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras, who was nominated by Barack Obama, that she was experiencing a mental health crisis and abusing drugs at the time. "I never wanted to hurt anyone," she stated. "I’m not a political person. I’m not a violent person." Judge Contreras acknowledged English's difficult life and expressed hope that her progress in jail would set her on a better path.

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You’ve had a very difficult life. Hopefully, the progress you’ve made in jail to this date has set you on the right path.

Prosecutors had sought a sentence of 10 years and one month, arguing that English had been planning the "attempted political assassination" for at least a month amid rising politically motivated violence in the U.S. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Horan emphasized that the act was not impulsive. However, the judge noted that English's plan had an "exceedingly low or nonexistent" chance of success, as the firebombs appeared incapable of igniting and Bessent was not at the Capitol when she arrived.

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This was not a chance encounter or an impulsive act.

Defense attorney Maria Jacob argued that English was in a "diminished mental state," influenced by fears regarding the treatment of transgender people under a potential second Trump administration. Investigators found a folding knife and two homemade firebombs in English's possession. Prosecutors also stated that English mentioned being influenced by Luigi Mangione, who was charged in the fatal shooting of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, and that she felt she was "on a mission." English also reportedly told officers she intended to harm other Republican figures and damage a conservative think tank before changing her target to Bessent after reading about his confirmation hearing.

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Our argument is that she was in a diminished mental state.