Four Democratic lawmakers from Connecticut reportedly received bomb threats on Thanksgiving Day.
Reps. Jim Himes, Jahana Hayes, Joe Courtney, and John Larson were all targeted in what law enforcement ultimately decided were baseless threats. This development comes on the heels of similar threats issued against President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees.
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Himes, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, brought the threats to light in a statement. “This morning, I was notified of a bomb threat targeting my home where I was celebrating Thanksgiving with my family,” he said, according to Axios.
The lawmaker pointed to law enforcement officials, praising them for their “swift and thorough response,” and noted that “no evidence of a bomb was found.”
He added: “There is no place for political violence in this country, and I hope that we may all continue through the holiday season with peace and civility.”
Hayes discussed the threats against her during a conversation with Fox News :
Hayes said she was notified by the chief of the Wolcott Police Department shortly before 8 a.m. this morning “that they received a threatening email stating a pipe bomb had been placed in the mailbox at my home.”
That department and Connecticut State Police then responded to her home and cleared the scene without finding any bomb or explosive materials, according to Hayes.
“I thank law enforcement for their swift attention to this matter, their actions demonstrate there is no place in our country for political violence,” Hayes also said.
A spokesperson for Courtney told Fox61 that there was “no evidence found of a bomb” at his property in Vernon.
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Larson explained that East Hartford Police showed up at his home in response to a bomb threat, but “determined no bomb was present at the property, and the Larson family is safe.”
The threats against Democratic lawmakers come after Trump’s nominees faced similar harassment. Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the president-elect’s transition team, announced that the individuals had received threats. “The warnings ranged from bomb threats to ‘swatting,’” she said, condemning the threats as “illegal and deeply un-American.”
Those targeted include prominent Trump appointees like Rep. Elise Stefanik, tapped for U.N. ambassador, and Lee Zeldin, nominated as EPA administrator. Trump’s team has called for increased protections for public figures, as my colleague Bob Hoge wrote on Wednesday:
The email described how some of the nominees have been threatened with “swatting,” which the FBI defines as “calling 9-1-1 and faking an emergency that draws a response from law enforcement—usually a SWAT team” to a target’s house. If law enforcement has been told that the “suspect” is armed and dangerous, they come with guns drawn.
Last night and this morning, several of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees and Administration appointees were targeted in violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them. These attacks ranged from bomb threats to ‘swatting.’ In response, law enforcement and other authorities acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted. President Trump and the entire Transition team are grateful for their swift action.
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The threats come after a contentious presidential election and fears over politically motivated violence.