ID:

499

Date:

2010-05-25

Headline:

Exclusive: FBI details surge in death threats against lawmakers

Reporter's name:

Erika Lovley

Delay/denial:

No

Lawsuit:

No

Fees:

No

Media outlet:

Politico

City:

Washington, DC

Summary:

"I was trying to work the political scene," said one constituent who called his House member and threatened to kill him if he voted for a recent bill; a FOIA request to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) elicited data showing that threats against members of Congress were increasingly common and violent in 2009. The FBI documents also revealed some common attributes of the would-be intimidators: most were male, gun-owners, and had recently had substantial life trauma such as illness or loss of a job.

Notes:

Politico used FOIA to obtain the records, which also showed increases in the cost of dignitary protection, the number of suspicious-package sweeps, and the number of disturbances/demonstrations.

Keywords:

FBI, threat, intimidation, violence, Congress, Heath Shuler, Debbie Stabenow, Zoe Lofgren, Ciro Rodriguez, Paul Ryan, Blanche Lincoln

URL:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0510/37726.html

Agencies:

FBI

States:

AR
CA
DC
MI
NC
TX
WI

Categories:

general government
terrorism