Daniel Penny, recently cleared of charges in the chokehold death of Jordan Neely, has been invited as a personal guest of Vice President-elect JD Vance to attend the Army-Navy football game this Shabbos.
Penny is set to watch the game in a suite alongside Vance and President-elect Donald Trump at the event, held in Landover, Maryland. According to a statement from Vance on Friday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is also expected to join the group in the same suite during the highly anticipated matchup.
“Daniel’s a good guy, and New York’s mob district attorney tried to ruin his life for having a backbone,” Vance shared on X. “I’m grateful he accepted my invitation and hope he’s able to have fun and appreciate how much his fellow citizens admire his courage.”
Thomas Kenniff, Penny’s lawyer, revealed that Vance reached out via text to congratulate them and extended the invitation to the game during that conversation.
“We were all shocked,” Kenniff admitted. “Danny’s first reaction was that ‘there are a lot of veterans more deserving than me’. Steve Raiser and I responded, that you don’t say no to the incoming Vice President of the United States.”
Kenniff also confirmed Penny’s excitement about the event, adding, “Danny looks forward to attending.”
The 26-year-old Penny was acquitted earlier this week of all charges stemming from the May 2023 incident in which he intervened during an altercation on a New York City subway. Neely, a homeless man, was threatening passengers when Penny restrained him using a chokehold.
Passengers reported that Neely was behaving erratically, yelling, “I’m ready to die,” throwing objects, and expressing a desire to harm others.
Penny held Neely in a chokehold for several minutes while the train was in motion. When authorities arrived, they found Neely with a weak pulse, but he passed away shortly after.
“Within those 15 seconds, I mean, there was contemplation,” Penny told Fox News’ Jeanine Pirro in his first post-acquittal interview. “Should I just wait? Should I go to a different car? Should I move away? But I saw the looks on — on the mother, on the, on the school kids, on the other passengers, women, children.
“The threats were imminent and something had to be done,” Penny explained. “[Passengers] were holding each other and just — and people were stuck to their chairs. They felt pinned, and I felt pinned. I felt nervous, I felt scared.”
Penny initially faced a second-degree manslaughter charge, which carried a potential 15-year prison sentence. That charge was dropped, and a subsequent negligent homicide charge, punishable by up to four years, resulted in a not guilty verdict.
“I have not said much about this case out of fear of (negatively) influencing the jury,” Vance posted Monday on X following the decision. “But thank God justice was done in this case. It was a scandal Penny was ever prosecuted in the first place.”
Throughout the trial, Trump reportedly kept close tabs on the proceedings, frequently requesting updates, according to a source familiar with the situation. The same source mentioned that Penny and Trump even had a phone conversation one night while the jury deliberated.
After the verdict, Penny was seen celebrating his acquittal, enjoying a beer at a local bar on Monday night.
{Matzav.com}