The politically-connected son of a Brooklyn Supreme Court Judge was among the band of Trump-supporting marauders who ransacked the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday.
Dressed in fur pelts and a bullet proof vest, Aaron Mostofsky joined an early wave of rioters who swarmed the halls of Congress, forcing lawmakers to evacuate before certifying Joe Biden's election victory. He can be seen in several photos outside the Senate chambers, holding a wooden stick and a police riot shield, alongside a man carrying a Confederate flag.
Brooklyn resident Aaron Mostofsky inside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday
The man's father is Shlomo Mostofsky, 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.
Neither father nor son returned repeated inquiries from Gothamist. In an interview with the NY Post, Aaron, who declined to give his last name, said that he stormed the building because “the election was stolen," adding that he found the riot shield on the floor.
His brother, Nachman Mostofsky, is the vice president of the South Brooklyn Conservative Club, and an elected district leader in the borough, who claims to have connections with high-ranking members of the Trump administration. Nachman also attended the rally on Thursday, but said he left before the group entered the capitol.
"My brother did nothing illegal," Nachman told Gothamist. "He definitely was not part of the riot." Asked how he ended up in the Capitol building, Nachman said his brother was "pushed inside."
"You’re full of shit. You’re a dishonest person. My brother went as a citizen of America," Nachman continued. "You find me one [Black Lives Matter] riot or one Antifa riot from over the summer that didn’t have way more damage."
The riot left four people dead, including one woman 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 wore attire bearing references to the Holocaust.
(Mostofsky can be seen in photographs standing next to a different man wearing furs and a horned hat, who has been identified as Jake Angeli, an Arizona QAnon supporter. It's unclear if the outfits are related.)
One of the men in furs seen outside of the Senate chamber on Wednesday
Like the vast majority of those who breached the capitol, Mostofsky was permitted to leave without arrest.
In a statement on Thursday, Acting Attorney General Jeffery Rosen said the Justice Department was working to identify members of the mob and charge them with federal crimes.
"The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that those responsible for this attack on our Government and the rule of law face the full consequences of their actions under the law," Rosen wrote.
