Obama-appointed judge hands extraordinary sentence to trans woman who plotted to kill Scott Bessent
A transgender woman who plotted to kill Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has been jailed for six years.
Reily Jane English, 25, of South Deerfield, Massachusetts, was arrested on January 27, 2025 after telling a cop outside the US Capitol: ‘I was going to kill Scott Bessent.’
English, who is identified in federal records as Ryan Michael English, was armed with a folding knife and two Molotov cocktails.
US District Judge Rudolph Contreras sentenced English on Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to two counts related to the attempt to kill Bessent and carrying a weapon on the grounds of the US Capitol.
Contreras, who was appointed by Barack Obama, said that ‘the offense is very serious’ but acknowledged that English was plagued by mental health problems.
The Justice Department had sought a sentence of 10 years, but Contreras said the range set by prosecutors was too high.
‘No one was harmed,’ the judge said. ‘The plan was basically impossible to succeed, and she turned herself in before it came anywhere near fruition.’
English, wearing an orange jumpsuit and glasses, and mid-length blonde hair, told the court: ‘I have a lot on my plate with an upcoming surgery. I want a chance to work and start a family of my own. I’m grateful for the opportunity to get sober and get right in my mind.’
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, speaks before President Donald Trump arrives at Wheeler High School in Marietta, Ga., Wednesday, July 22
US District Judge Rudolph Contreras sentenced English on Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to two counts related to the attempt to kill Bessent and carrying a weapon on the grounds of the US Capitol
The would-be assassin told investigators she was inspired by Luigi Mangione, who had shot dead a health insurance boss in New York City the month before she showed up on Capitol Hill.
English traveled from Massachusetts to Washington intending to kill a government official and burn down a think tank, according to the Justice Department.
Bessent was being confirmed by the Senate that day as Trump’s Treasury boss.
At 3.12pm, English approached a police officer near the South Door of the Capitol and said: ‘I’d like to turn myself in.’
She pleaded guilty on March 26 to unlawful receipt, possession or transfer of a firearm, and carrying a firearm, dangerous weapon, explosive or incendiary device on the grounds of the US Capitol.
US Attorney Jeanine Pirro said: ‘My office will not tolerate attempts to intimidate or harm public officials that strike at the heart of our democratic process and are antithetical to the values we all depend on.
‘The defendant is now a convicted felon and is headed where he belongs: prison.’
The defense team requested that English be placed in a female prison, but the judge said this was for the Bureau of Prisons.
‘You’ve had a very difficult life with a lot of challenges,’ Contreras told English. ‘You’re young, you still have a significant portion of your life. Good luck to you.’
In addition to the prison term, Contreras ordered three years of supervised release. English will receive credit for roughly 20 months already served.
English spent about a month planning the attack, left phones behind to avoid tracking, researched targets using a false identity at a library, and bought an atlas to navigate Washington.
Original targets included House Speaker Mike Johnson, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Heritage Foundation.
The focus shifted to Bessent after English saw a television clip of him discussing the federal minimum wage while stopping at a library.
‘He said it with a smile on his face and that got under my skin,’ English later told investigators.
Officers recovered two 50-millilitre Absolut vodka bottles with grey cloth strips soaked in hand sanitizer used as wicks, a folding knife and a green lighter.
A search of English’s car turned up a larger bottle of 100-proof vodka and a grey sweatshirt with fabric cut from the sleeves.
A handwritten note found in a pocket read in part: ‘This is terrible but I cant do nothing while nazis kill my sisters…Im so sorry for lying and plotting and lying.’
English also admitted considering suicide on the White House steps if the plan failed, and abandoned the assassination attempt after seeing the security presence and realizing bystanders could be harmed.
