Following Attorney General Pam Bondicommitted to pursuing charges against threats of violenceangry at public officials, Rep. Eric Swalwell expressed his frustration.
“This is rich,” Swalwell posted to Xon Tuesday. “AG Bondi has refused to prosecute several direct death threats directed at me and my family.”
Swalwell’s message became popular — so popular that Bondi contacted him to ask “what I was talking about,” the California Democrat said to NOTUS on Thursday.
We provided her with the two most recent instances where the DOJ decided not to pursue prosecution, and both involved individuals who clearly stated they intended to kill me and my family,” Swalwell mentioned. “In one of those cases, I believe they said, ‘Now you will die.’
I’ll trust her when she says she’ll review them,” Swalwell added. “I hope there’s some movement.
Swalwell is among several House Democrats who claim they have faced violent threats, yet the Justice Department has refused to pursue or investigate these incidents. NOTUS interviewed a dozen House Democrats, with many choosing to remain anonymous due to fears of retaliation from President Donald Trump and his administration, who expressed concerns for their safety and feel these threats are not being taken seriously.
While Charlie Kirk’s assassinationsparked a wider (and bipartisan) conversation on Capitol Hill regarding the necessity toincrease securityfor congressional members, those discussions had already occurred amongDemocrats for months.
Every individual in the caucus,” a House Democrat stated, “is feeling frightened at this moment.
We are concerned about our children answering the door. We also worry when strangers come to our homes. I was out for a run when I noticed a car following me,” the official stated, beginning to cry. “It turned out to be okay… but this kind of situation keeps triggering us repeatedly.
Legislators from both political parties are expressing their worries to Speaker Mike Johnson. A number of lawmakers met with Johnson on the floor on Wednesday, just after theHouse Administration Committee announcedThat extra money for member safety was accessible, to voice concerns about their security.
It was also Republicans there, telling the speaker, ‘You have a (security) detail,you have a detail. The rest of us don’t,”” said the House Democrat, who was involved in the discussion, to NOTUS.
Johnson’s office referenced a press briefing where the speaker was questioned about the encounter.
I want to clearly state two things: Members of Congress are safe. They are protected in their homes and personal safety,” Johnson said to reporters. “There are numerous resources available, both within the Capitol and at their residences. However, whenever there is an act of political violence or a tragic assassination, like the one we all saw, everyone takes a moment to evaluate if there are ways to enhance security. That’s what we’re currently doing.
Trump along with several of his supporters in Congresshave quickly blamed Democrats and liberal advocatesfor the increase in political violence. In public speeches, Trump has mentioned the two attempts on his life andKirk’s killingbut has not explained how Democrats have also been affected: Minnesota state House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husbandwere murdered by a gunman in June; the residence of Pennsylvania’s Democratic governor, Josh Shapiro, was ignited while he and his family were asleep in April; Paul Pelosi, the spouse of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was assaulted by an individual who entered their San Francisco home in 2022.
Although Bondi publicly vows to pursue legal action against anyone who assaults politicians—no matter their political affiliation—Democrats are concerned that Trump’s statements may influence how Bondi and the Department of Justice handle their threat assessments.
Trump has required strict, complete, and unwavering loyalty from those he has appointed to positions of authority to carry out their duties,” said Rep. Julie Johnson in an interview with NOTUS. “I have no doubt that Pam Bondi will fail to uphold her oath as attorney general, will not perform her job properly to genuinely safeguard all individuals in this country from hate speech, hate crimes, and violence — but instead, she will submit to Donald Trump just like every other member of his administration has done.
Members highlighted cases where the Justice Department has targeted Democrats — including thefederal indictmentagainst Rep. LaMonica McIver and thedepartment’s investigationto Rep. Robert Garcia for stating that Democrats should bring “real weapons to this bar fight” — as justifications for why they can’t trust Bondi.
A second Democratic member of the House mentioned that their partner “received significant threats,” with both the Capitol Police and the FBI investigating the incidents.
“Eventually, they determined that the man was merely talking without serious intent,” the politician stated.
In a statement provided to NOTUS, the U.S. Capitol Police mentioned, “Every threat and any alarming remark is treated with gravity and looked into.”
“The Supreme Court recently explained the strict criteria needed for a threat to be considered prosecutable in Counterman v. Colorado. We must now evaluate threat cases using this perspective. We are examining an individual’s actions. The objective is to reduce any behavior that might result in a severe consequence. We collaborate with federal, state, and local authorities, along with mental health experts, to reach this aim,” the statement added.
The Department of Justice did not provide a statement in response to NOTUS’ request for commentary.
House Democrats have also utilized significantly more security funding compared to their Republican counterparts.
After the Hortman shooting, the House Administration Committee, which is responsible for member security,boosted the level of financial supportavailable for “monitoring and maintenance” ranging from $150 to $5,000 per month, and permitted members “to use the allocated funds to employ licensed and insured individuals or companies for personal security” until September 3.
A third Democratic representative stated that during a recent caucus meeting, they were presented with data indicating, “Democrats have used the additional funding at a ratio of three to one compared to our Republican counterparts.” A senior House Democratic official verified the statistic.
House Republicans’ short-term continuing resolutionTo support the government, an extra $30 million supplemental funding proposal has been made for members’ safety.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, who serves as the top-ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, stated to NOTUS that “money is not sufficient.”
“What we aim to attempt is the hiring of a law enforcement coordinator” for individual offices, “so that there is someone present who comprehends … what is required to handle protecting members, their families, staff, and so on,” DeLauro stated.
However, a fourth Democrat stated that unless there are genuine repercussions from federal law enforcement or the Capitol police, the threats will persist — and they are frustrated.
I’ve heard many colleagues, especially those who have been here for a while, saying that there have been threats which haven’t been taken seriously,” the fourth legislator stated. “You can receive something on social media that says, ‘I’m going to kill you,’ and it’s like, ‘Hey, we went to talk to that person,’ and that was basically the end of it.
It’s like, no, I don’t need you to just go talk to the person. If someone releases something like that, you know, it should be a crime,” the official added. “I’ve heard numerous stories about not conducting thorough investigations and not holding these individuals accountable for threatening family members and others.
This narrative was created through a collaboration betweenNOTUS — a publication from the nonpartisan Allbritton Institute for Journalism — andNEWSWELL, home of Times of San Diego, Santa Barbara News-Press and Stocktonia.
