Six Democratic lawmakers received bomb threats during the Thanksgiving holiday

CNN
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At least six Democrats in Congress say they were victims of a bomb threat during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Four Democratic representatives from Connecticut said Thursday they were victims of bomb threats while celebrating Thanksgiving at home with their families. Senator Chris Murphy’s office said he was also targeted.

Deputies Joe Courtney, Jim Himes, John Larson and Jahana Hayes each issued statements disclosing the threats, prompting a response from law enforcement. Rep. Seth Magaziner of Rhode Island said in a statement Friday that he was “recently notified of a bomb threat against his home.” In each case, law enforcement ultimately found no evidence of a bomb and all five representatives said their families were safe.

Murphy’s office said his Hartford home was the target of a bomb threat “that appeared to be part of a coordinated effort involving multiple members of Congress and public figures.”

Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement Friday that the threats were “unacceptable, incomprehensible and have no place in a civilized society.”

“These incidents ranged from detailed threats of a pipe bomb being placed in mailboxes to beatings, all signed ‘MAGA’ at the end of the message,” Jeffries said.

Law enforcement is investigating whether there is a connection between the series of threats to congressional Democrats and a series of threats to Trump officials earlier in the week, two sources told CNN.

According to a source, there appears to be no common ideology behind the threats.

Several of Donald Trump’s Cabinet members and government appointees were also targeted Tuesday night into Wednesday in what the president-elect’s transition team described as “violent and un-American threats against their lives.”

Incidents like these have increased in recent years and are not uncommon for lawmakers, an official familiar with the investigation into the earlier calls told CNN.

Law enforcement officials have previously told CNN that these calls may involve people overseas using scripts to make various threats, and that these calls are sometimes for attention and entertainment.

In a statement to CNN, the US Capitol Police said it is investigating the latest round of threats against Democratic lawmakers.

“Whenever a member of Congress falls victim to a swatting incident, we work closely with our local and federal law enforcement partners. To protect ongoing investigations and minimize the risk of impersonation, we cannot provide further details at this time,” the USCP said in a statement.

The FBI said in a statement Wednesday that it was aware of “numerous bomb threats and attacks against prospective government nominees and appointees” and was working with other law enforcement agencies. “We take all potential threats seriously and, as always, encourage the public to immediately report anything they believe to be suspicious to law enforcement,” the statement continued.

Andrew McCabe, a former FBI deputy director and CNN contributor, said he was not surprised by the threats earlier this week.

“This has become a very, very common aspect of life for literally anyone who holds a high-profile or even remotely controversial position. This has been going on for years,” McCabe said in an interview on Wednesday. “They probably know – 90% certain – that these incoming threats are worthless and will do them no good, but they cannot take the risk of not responding if there is a chance that a real threat will get through.”

Swatting is a criminal hoax that involves falsely reporting a crime, such as a mass shooting or a bomb threat, with the intent of luring police to a specific location. In a time of highly explosive party politics, these types of threats are directed against a wide range of ideologies. For example, special counsel Jack Smith and Judge Tanya Chutkan, who oversaw the federal election subversion case against Trump, have already been the subject of such incidents.

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNN’s Katie Bo Lillis contributed to this report.