Broward man accused of making threats Kless threatened to kill Democratic Congress members
Affidavit: John
A Tamarac man upset over gun control is accused of threatening to kill prominent Democratic members of Congress, including two contenders for president.
John Kless, 49, was arrested by federal authorities Friday.
U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell of California, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan received the messages laden with profanity and racist comments, according to an affidavit filed in federal court.
A transcript of a voicemail left on April 16 with Swalwell read in part, “The day you come after our guns … is the day you’ll be dead. Along with everybody in the f **king government.”
A week before, Swalwell held a town hall meeting at the BB&T Center in Sunrise on gun violence. Swalwell has called for an assault weapons ban and prosecuting gun owners who don’t sell back their weapons.
Swalwell tweeted, “Thank you to the (Capitol Police) and Florida law enforcement for protecting my staff and constituents.”
The messages left with Tlaib and Booker appear to be motivated by comments about the 9/11 terrorist attacks made by U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, a Muslim. President Donald Trump seized on Omar’s remark that “some people did something” on 9/ 11 to post a video of her interspersed with images of the terrorist attack. Democrats rushed to her defense, accusing Trump of Islamophobia.
Kless is quoted in the complaint defending Trump. “You definitely don’t tell our president, Donald Trump, what to say,” the transcript of a message left with Tlaib reads.
The U.S. Capitol Police also opened a threat assessment in February on a message Kless is accused of leaving with Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi regarding “Congress taking away his guns, abortion, illegal immigration, and Muslims in Congress,” according to the affidavit.
Kless was charged with making threatening communications, which is punishable by up to five years in prison.