Man who allegedly said he’d kill senator appears in court

PHOENIX — A man suspected of threatening to kidnap and kill a U.S. senator and his family made his first court appearance in Chicago.

James Dean Blevins was told Thursday that the federal charges filed against him in Arizona accusing him of threatening an official identified only as “United States Senator J.F.” could be transferred to Chicago if prosecutors don’t object.

Authorities have declined to provide the victim’s full name, but Sen. Jeff Flake, R-ariz., is the only senator with those initials.

Flake said in late September that his family received death threats after he asked a Senate committee to hear testimony from a woman who accused then-supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault.

Attorney Robert Loeb, who represents Blevins, didn’t return a phone call and email seeking comment Friday.

The indictment says the threat was made Sept. 17 in Arizona and was done with the intent to “retaliate against such official on account of the performance of his official duties.”

Cosme Lopez, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Phoenix, declined Friday to release any details of the case against Blevins.

This isn’t the first case filed against someone who’s accused of threatening a senator over Kavanaugh’s confirmation.

Ronald Derisi of Smithtown, New York, was charged Thursday with threatening to kill two U.S. senators supporting Kavanaugh’s confirmation, though prosecutors aren’t naming the senators who received the threatening messages.

Flake’s office didn’t immediately respond to a phone call and email Friday seeking comment.