Woman who threatened Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth sentenced

A 43-year-old woman who pleaded guilty to making threats toward Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth was sentenced on Thursday. 

According to court documents, Rachel Welsch of Hugo, Minnesota, left a series of voicemails threatening Demuth at the beginning of the year. The messages included calling Demuth a racist, a traitor and veiled threats of a shooting. 

The judge presiding over the case stayed the imposition of sentence, placing Welsch on three years of supervised probation and ordering her to complete 180 hours of community work service, according to the Washington County Attorney's Office. Welsch is also ordered to have no contact with Demuth or her staff and is not allowed to use or possess firearms. She must also complete mental health programming. 

In February, Demuth petitioned for a restraining order against Welsch, and a judge granted a temporary extreme risk protection order based on a law enforcement petition, according to court documents.

"I sincerely hope that the consequences in this case will dissuade future threats, and that legislators and other public officials can continue to do their jobs without having to fear for the safety of themselves or their families," Demuth said in July. 

Earlier this year, the Minnesota Legislature passed millions in funding to create a dedicated protective services unit. That unit is part of the Capitol security team and will be used to provide personal protection for lawmakers facing credible threats.

The Minnesota State Patrol said the number of threats against lawmakers and other elected officials doubled from 2024 to 2025.