SARASOTA, Fla. — A Florida man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to threatening a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Department of Justice announced in a news release.
According to the DOJ, David Hannon, 67, of Sarasota sent an email to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar threatening to kill her following a televised press conference. In the email, which contained the subject line "[You're] dead, you radical Muslim," prosecutors say Hannon referred to the Congresswoman as "radical rats." He also asked Omar if she was prepared "to die for Islam."
Eventually, the DOJ says Hannon wrote that he would shoot Omar in the head.
“Threatening to kill our elected officials, especially because of their race, ethnicity or religious beliefs, is offensive to our nation’s fundamental values,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in a news release, in part.
“The Justice Department will not hesitate to prosecute individuals who violate federal laws that prohibit violent, hate-motivated threats. All elected officials, regardless of their background, should be able to represent their communities and serve the public free from hate-motivated threats and violence.”
As a result of the plea, the DOJ says Hannon is being charged with one count of threatening a federal official. The case is being investigated by the FBI with assistance from U.S. Capitol Police.
