At least five Democratic members of Congress from Connecticut received bomb threats on Thanksgiving, including one House lawmaker who was the target of a “threatening email” announcing a pipe bomb in her home mailbox.
US Capitol Police and state and local police have cleared the threats, which followed a series of similar incidents and “swatting” threats targeting Republican nominees who are joining Donald Trump’s incoming administration.
Bomb threats were reported on Thursday at the homes of Senator Chris Murphy as well as Reps. Jahana Hayes, Joe Courtney, John Larson and Jim Himes, the top-ranking Democratic member of the House Intelligence Committee, according to their offices.
Police have responded to the incidents and determined that no evidence of any bombs was discovered, they said.
In a statement, Hayes said police notified her at 7:47 a.m. that they had received a “threatening email stating a pipe bomb had been placed in the mailbox” at her home, and after an investigation, “no bomb or explosive materials were discovered and the scene was cleared.”
“At this time the investigation is ongoing,” she said. “I thank law enforcement for their swift attention to this matter, their actions demonstrate there is no place in our country for political violence.”
A spokesperson for Senator Murphy told The Independent that the threat against his home “appears to be part of a coordinated effort involving multiple members of Congress and public figures.”
Police “quickly responded and determined there was no real threat,” according to Murphy’s office.
Himes said in a statement that he was similarly notified on Thursday morning “about a bomb threat targeting my home where I was celebrating Thanksgiving with my family.”
“There is no place for political violence in this country,” he said.
A spokesperson for Courtney said the congressman’s home was also targeted, and a responding bomb squad cleared the scene at 7 a.m. and found no evidence of a bomb at the property.
Thursday’s incidents follow a streak of bomb hoaxes and “swatting” calls — in which law enforcement is deployed to someone’s home after a hoax threat — targeting several nominees for Trump’s administration, including Republican congress members Elise Stefanik, Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Lee Zeldin.
Bomb threats were also reported by Matt Gaetz, Brooke Rollins, Pete Hegseth, John Ratcliffe and Howard Lutnick.
A statement from the FBI on Wednesday said the agency is “aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees, and we are working with our law enforcement partners.”
“We take all potential threats seriously, and as always, encourage members of the public to immediately report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement,” the agency said.
It is unclear whether Thursday’s threats are connected.
