Man Threatened to Murder Senators Who Supported Kavanaugh: Feds

SMITHTOWN, NY - A Smithtown man was arrested on Friday for threatening to murder and assault two U.S. senators for showing their support for the confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, according to U.S. attorney Richard P. Donoghue.

Ronald DeRisi, 74, was arrested in his home earlier Friday and is scheduled to appear this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Gary R. Brown at the United States Courthouse in Central Islip, the U.S. attorney said.

Beginning on Sept. 27, DeRisi left more than 10 threatening voice messages at the offices of two senators, who the New York Post has identified as Republicans Chuck Grassley and Susan Collins, regarding the nomination and confirmation of Kavanaugh, the U.S. attorney said.

The threats in the voice messages were apparently made to discourage both senators from supporting the nomination and/or as retaliation for having voted to confirm Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, the U.S. attorney said.

According to the Donoghue, DeRisi details the content of some of the expletive-laced recorded voice-messages.

For example, in the first of two voice messages left for one of the senator on Sept. 27, DeRisi said that he had a “present” for the senator, stating, in part, “It’s a nine millimeter. Side of your … skull ….” DeRisi concluded with “Yeah, Kavanaugh – I don’t think so.”

In a voice-message left for for the other senator on Oct. 6, DeRisi allegedly stated, in part, “… you better pray this guy don’t get in….” Less than an hour and a half later, DeRisi called the same senator again and left a message stating, in part, “I’m gonna get you.”

DeRisi was identified through telephone records as well as by voice exemplars, the U.S. attorney said.

Following his arrest, officials executed a search warrant and seized the cellphone used to leave the voice-messages, authorities said.

"Representative democracy cannot work if elected officials are threatened with death for simply doing their job," Donoghue said. "The First Amendment - the pinnacle of American achievement - protects debate, disagreement and dissent, not death threats. We and all those dedicated to the rule of law will not tolerate the use violence and threats of violence in attempts to prevail in political disputes."

Read the full criminal complaint here.

Photo via Suffolk Police