Sarasota man pleads guilty over email threatening to kill Democratic congresswoman
A Sarasota man has pleaded guilty to threatening to kill U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minnesota, in an email calling her a “radical Muslim” and asking, “Are you ready to die for Islam?”
The email asked if she was ready to leave the country and referenced a bullet going through her head.
David Hannon, 67, sent the email hours following a July 16, 2019 press conference held by Omar; Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass.; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.; and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich. — calling all four newly elected colored congresswomen “radical rats.” At the press conference, the four congresswoman condemned racist comments made earlier in the day by then-President Donald Trump.
Omar quoted multiple of Trump’s comments in which he used profanity speaking about social issues involving women and minorities.
On Tuesday, Hannon pleaded guilty in a federal courtroom in Tampa on Tuesday to one count of threatening a federal official, according to court documents.
“Threatening to kill our elected officials, especially because of their race, ethnicity or religious beliefs, is offensive to our nation’s fundamental values,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said in an issued statement.
“The Justice Department will not hesitate to prosecute individuals who violate federal laws that prohibit violent, hate-motivated threats. All elected officials, regardless of their background, should be able to represent their communities and serve the public free from hate-motivated threats and violence.”
On the night of July 16, 2019, Hannon — a Trump supporter — emailed Omar at her campaign email address, according to the plea agreement.
Omar’s staff immediately contacted the FBI, who investigated the threat with the assistance of the Capitol Police. Investigators traced the email back to Hannon, who had used his iCloud email account.
“No one should fear violence because of who they are or what they believe,” U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg said in a statement. “Unlawful threats against our elected officials are an assault against our democracy, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to seek justice in these cases.”
