A Georgia man was arraigned Monday on charges of communicating threats in interstate commerce in connection with threats of sexual violence against Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Deb Fischer of Nebraska, federal prosecutors said.
Robert Davis Forney, 25, of Duluth, left voicemails in January threatening sexual violence against the two senators, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia alleged. He is also accused of threatening Cruz's family. Forney entered a not guilty plea Monday.
A federal grand jury in Georgia indicted him last week, prosecutors said.
Spokespeople for Cruz and Fischer did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday night.
U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg condemned political violence against elected officials in a statement.
“Threatening our elected officials and their families is an act of violence that undermines our entire democracy,” Hertzberg said. “Political discourse and disagreements never justify resorting to vile attacks against our nation’s leaders.”
FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown offered a similar sentiment, saying in a statement that there “is no place for political violence or threats of violence in the United States.”
The arraignment follows a growing trend of political violence against elected officials.
A Minnesota man was arrested Sunday night in connection with the fatal shooting of Democratic state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband. Another Democratic state lawmaker and his wife were also injured in what authorities have called “politically motivated” attacks.
Capitol Police, which is investigating the Forney case along with the FBI, said in February that the number of threat assessment cases grew for a second consecutive year last year, highlighting their investigations of 9,474 concerning statements and direct threats against members of Congress, their families and staff members last year and 8,008 threats in 2023.
“The men and women of the United States Capitol Police work around the clock to investigate thousands of threat cases every year — a number that only seems to be growing," said Acting U.S. Capitol Chief Sean Gallagher in a statement Monday. “Our Department’s mission to protect the Members of Congress is critical and we will not tolerate any threat to their safety.”
After the attacks Saturday in Minnesota, the Senate is holding an all-members briefing Tuesday focused on security for lawmakers.
