Report: Stabenow one of several members of Congress to receive death threats

By TODD SPANGLER WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan was one of several members of Congress who received death threats last year, according to a report released today by Politico.The Washington, D.C.-based publication reviewed FBI documents related to the threats which were released under a Freedom of Information Act request. In the meantime, the U.S. Senate’s sergeant at arms, Terrance Gainer, told Politico threats against members of Congress were up 300% in the first few months of 2010, as the health care reform legislation was passed.

In the case of Stabenow, a Democrat, Politico said the records showed a man left voice mail messages for her at several of her Michigan offices in February 2009.

“We’re gonna (expletive) get you,” the man said in one message, the publication reported. “We’re gonna get you with a lot of (expletive) bolt action. Like we did RFK; like we did MLK. We know who you are. We’ll get you.”

According to the records, FBI agents traced the calls back to a 54-year-old Texas man who once had many handguns, shotguns and rifles. He told law enforcement agents that he was “really, really drunk” when he made the calls and was just “venting” over concerns of government overreach.