Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) was the target of “swatting” harassment on Christmas, prompting the conservative lawmaker to issue a scathing rebuke of President Joe Biden’s Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The Christmas incident also led the GOP congresswoman to announce plans to push for legislation to address the issue of swatting harassment.
According to The New York Post, a Rome Police Department spokesperson confirmed that the Georgia congresswoman’s local 911 dispatch center received an emergency call to her home just prior to noon on Christmas. The unidentified individual contacted the suicide hotline, threatening that he was going to kill himself and that he had shot his girlfriend.
Swatting is a form of harassment that involves individuals reporting a false emergency to law enforcement in order to prompt the dispatch of police officers to the victim’s address.
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The Rome Police Department spokesperson told The New York Post that local law enforcement coordinated with Greene’s security detail and “determined that there was no emergency and that she was safe.” The spokesperson added that the police response was “canceled en route.”
After Monday’s swatting incident, Greene released a series of statements on X, formerly Twitter, saying, “I was just swatted. This is like the 8th time. On Christmas with my family here. My local police are the GREATEST and shouldn’t have to deal with this. I appreciate them so much and my family and I are in joyous spirits celebrating the birth of our savior Jesus Christ!”
In another post, Greene said that the Christmas swatting incident marked the 8th time she has been swatted. The Georgia congresswoman criticized the FBI for being unable to determine the identity of those responsible for the incidents.
Greene wrote, “The FBI can do so many things, has even abused FISA to spy on hundreds of thousands of Americans, but can not figure out who wants me killed by a hail of bullets fired by a SWAT team responding to murder suicide calls supposedly coming from me.”
Greene also claimed in another post on Monday that she received threatening messages last week from a man who allegedly wanted to fight her and “smash” the congresswoman’s “brains out on a curb.” The unidentified individual also claimed that he was being recruited by the FBI.
Greene posted that she reported the threatening messages to the Capitol Police and that the man had not yet been arrested.
In the aftermath of Monday’s swatting incident, Greene has called for legislation to address the issue of swatting, highlighting the dangerous nature of swatting pranks.
“Swatting is extremely dangerous and people have been killed as a result from swatting calls. It’s also a waste of police time and resources and harassment,” she wrote. “I will be introducing legislation to track down swatters. Thank you to everyone who has sent well wishes for me and my family. I will never stop fighting for what is right and I will always put America first! No matter what or who attacks me.”
