Vance lauds Daniel Penny's hire by VC firm after subway chokehold acquittal

Vice President JD Vance celebrated the news that the prestigious venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz hired Daniel Penny, a Marine veteran who was acquitted two months ago of a negligent homicide charge in New York City.

“Incredible news,” Vance said in a post on X, responding to news of the hire, which was first reported by Bari Weiss’s The Free Press.

Penny, a former architecture student, was found not guilty by a jury on a criminally negligent homicide charge in early December 2024. He had originally been charged with manslaughter in the death of 30-year-old Jordan Neely, a homeless man who had been shouting at passengers on a New York subway car, after he held him in a chokehold for several minutes in May 2023.

After his acquittal, Penny told Fox Nation host Jeanine Pirro that he was in a “vulnerable position” and feared for the safety of himself and others at the time of the incident.

“He was just threatening to kill people. He was threatening to go to jail forever, go to jail for the rest of his life,” Penny said in the December interview, adding, “And now, where I’m on the ground with him, I’m on my back in a very vulnerable position if I would have just let go.”

The incident gained significant media attention at the time and was a polarizing episode for New York City and much of the broader electorate.

David Ulevitch, a general partner at the VC firm, commented on Penny’s actions on the subway in an internal memo sent to employees on Tuesday announcing the hire, The Free Press reported. Ulevitch did not respond to The Hill’s request for comment on the memo, but he reposted on X The Free Press’s reporting on the topic.

“I believe, as I know many of you do, that Daniel acted with courage in a tough situation,” Ulevitch reportedly wrote in the memo. “He was acquitted of all charges. Beyond that, it has always been our policy to evaluate the entire person and not judge them for the worst moment in their entire life.”

“We believe in Daniel and are excited to have him as part of our team,” Ulevitch added.

Penny was hired to join the firm’s “American Dynamism” team, which is “a network of civic-minded founders” who “are solving the biggest problems facing America,” according to the firm’s website. The site lists Penny as a “Deal Partner” on the team.

Ulevitch, in the memo, said Penny “will learn the business of investing” and will “work to support our portfolio companies.” He also said he imagines Penny will help strengthen relationships with the Department of Defense and the public safety sector, The Free Press reported.

Andreessen Horowitz’s founders were among the high-profile Silicon Valley supporters of President Trump’s campaign. Marc Andreessen, one of the firm’s co-founders, played a key role in helping shape the Trump administration, according to The Washington Post, which reported that Andreessen was “quietly and successfully recruiting candidates for positions across Trump’s Washington” following the 2024 election.

Penny has largely stayed out of the spotlight since he was acquitted in December, but he was Vance’s guest at the Army-Navy college football game shortly after his acquittal.

“Daniel’s a good guy, and New York’s mob district attorney tried to ruin his life for having a backbone,” Vance said at the time, adding, “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.”