Congress on edge over rampant “swatting” incidents
Washington — Earlier this month, a woman died in a crash in Rome, Georgia, after her vehicle collided with that of an officer who was responding to a fake bomb threat at the home of Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. It was among the latest in a series of threats triggering police responses against her and other members of Congress.
“This is the trend that we’re seeing,” U.S. Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger told CBS News. “These people are getting threatened in their homes, their families are being threatened.”
In a Dec. 11 Senate hearing, Manger testified that there had been more than 50 so-called “swatting” attacks on members of Congress over the previous month. These are incidents in which someone falsely claims a bomb or mass shooting at the home of a public official in order to draw a SWAT team response and potentially trigger a tragedy.
“You’ve got, you know, a bunch of law enforcement officers that are pounding on the door, kicking in a door, and again, that’s a recipe for disaster, and it’s a recipe for chaos, and it’s a recipe for somebody innocent to get hurt or killed,” Manger said.
Manger said that Capitol Police were often receiving multiple swatting cases per day.
“These are occurring all over the country,” Manger said. “And so, yeah, it certainly got our attention.”
After a year marred by political violence, the November election hasn’t broken the fever. Several House members told CBS News they have been menaced in recent weeks. And late last month, the Trump transition team said several of President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet and administration picks were also targeted in a series of bomb threats and swatting calls.
On Dec. 10, an Illinois man was arrested by Capitol Police on allegations of attacking Republican Rep. Nancy Mace on Capitol Hill.
“I am being unfairly targeted right now,” Mace had told reporters back on Nov. 19. “I’m receiving death threats.”
On. Nov 8, Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz of Florida disclosed that he had been notified by authorities about a “potential plot” against his life.
“I’m fine, but, you know, I got a family at home that has to deal with all this?” Moskowitz also said on Nov. 19.
Democratic Rep. Wiley Nickel of California told CBS News his recent editorial in the Washington Post recommending strategies to push back on President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda triggered a “wave” of death threats.
“We’ve had threats on my life, my family, my staff, it’s been, you know, very ugly,” Nickel told CBS News on Nov. 19.
To counter the spike in harassment, Capitol Police are deploying more officers into elected officials’ home communities and airports, as well as helping elected officials bolster security systems in their houses and hometown offices.
Scott MacFarlane is a congressional correspondent. He has covered Washington for two decades, earning 20 Emmy and Edward R. Murrow awards. His reporting has resulted directly in the passage of five new laws.
