FL Man Threatened To Kill U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar: DOJ

SARASOTA, FL — A Sarasota man pleaded guilty Tuesday in a U.S. District Court in Florida to threatening a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

David Hannon, 67, who was charged with one count of threatening a federal official, entered a plea deal before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher P. Tuite.

On July 16, 2019, he emailed Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) threatening to kill her following a televised news conference held by her and three other U.S. Congresswomen, the DOJ said.

The subject line of Hannon’s email, in which he threatened to shoot Omar in the head, was “[You’re] dead, you radical Muslim.”

He also referred to Omar and the other congresswomen of color as “radical rats,” and asked the Minnesota politician if she was prepared “to die for Islam,” according to the DOJ.

“Threatening to kill our elected officials, especially because of their race, ethnicity or religious beliefs, is offensive to our nation’s fundamental values,” said Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “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.”

U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg with the Middle District of Florida added, “No one should fear violence because of who they are or what they believe. 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.”