FBI Arrests 32-year-old Man For Threatening Washington Democratic Congressman Jim McDermott
The FBI arrested a 32-year-old man Wednesday on charges of threatening Congressman Jim McDermott, a Washington Democrat, during two expletive-laden phone calls in December 2010.
The suspect, Charles Turner Habermann of Palm Springs, California, is also alleged to have made threatening phone calls to at least one other political representative.
In the messages to McDermott, both of which took place in December 2010 and were left on the line of his district office, Habermann allegedly threatened to kill the congressman, his family and acquaintances. He also said he would hire someone to put the congressman "in the trash."
"He's a piece of human filth. He's a liar, he's a communist, he's a piece of [expletive] garbage," Habermann said in the first of the two messages, speaking of McDermott.
According to the complaint against Habermann, who said he had seen McDermott on television, the Palm Springs resident was unhappy about the congressman's positions on health care reform, tax cuts, and unemployment insurance. (McDermott voted for health care reform, and has called it "one of the most important pieces of health care legislation in more than a generation.")
In a statement, U.S. attorney Jenny Durkan said threats are crimes for which people must be held accountable.
"We are blessed to live in a country that guarantees and protects the freedom to disagree with our government and speak our minds," Durkan said. "That protection, however, does not extend to threats or acts of violence. Those actions are intended to silence debate, not further it. They instill fear not just in the immediate victims, but in many who might hold the same views or take the same course."
McDermott confirmed the threats and expressed his confidence in the FBI to deal with the matter.
"I can confirm that a death threat was made against me and that the FBI, working with the Capitol Police, has arrested the individual responsible for the threat," he said in a statement on Wednesday. "I have full confidence in the law enforcement agencies handling the case and remain focused on serving my constituents."
This is not the first time Habermann has been investigated for threatening public officials: In March 2010, he allegedly made two threatening phone calls to an unnamed California assemblyperson with whom he had previously met to discuss health care reform. According to the Associated Press, he had also made threats to California assemblyman V. Manuel Perez, a Democrat who represents the Palm Springs area.
Habermann was initially interviewed regarding his messages to McDermott on Dec. 10, 2010. During the interview, he acknowledged having made the calls, and said that while he had consumed alcohol before doing so, he still felt he was functional enough that at the time he could have driven his car.
He said he was trying to "scare" politicians "before they spent money that didn't belong to them," but added he had never intended to actually hurt them -- particularly because he didn't want to do anything that could jeopardize his access to a $3 million trust fund.
Habermann is scheduled to appear in a California court today at 3:00PM and faces one count of threatening a federal official, which is punishable by up to ten years in prison.
