A Florida man, 72, was arrested Wednesday and charged with threatening to kill Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell and his children in several voicemail messages allegedly left at the lawmaker’s office in Washington, DC.
Michael Shapiro called Swalwell’s office the evening of December 19 from his home in Greenacres, according to court records, and left five threatening voicemail messages. The member is not identified in the court documents, but Swalwell confirmed that he and his family were the target of Shapiro’s threats.
“I’m gonna come after you and kill you,” Shapiro said in one message, according to court records.
“I’m gonna kill your children,” Shapiro threatened in another voice message, investigators said in the court records.
In some of the expletive-filled messages Shapiro called Shapiro “a Chinese spy” and a “greaseball,” the records stated.
An investigator with the US Capitol Police Investigations Division, Threat Assessment Section, wrote in the court documents that phone records matched the phone that called the member’s office with a phone owned by Shapiro.
Swalwell told CNN in a statement, “There is no place in America for threats of political violence. We must always resolve our differences at the ballot box. While I will continue to protect my family and staff these continued threats will never stop me from representing my constituents.”
Swalwell also addressed the matter on X, saying “MAGA Republicans have chosen violence over voting and this is what it looks like. But I’m not going away and neither should you.”
Shapiro made his initial appearance in court in the Southern District of Florida on Wednesday and was “found to be indigent,” according to the court docket. The public defender’s office was appointed to represent him.
CNN has reached out to the public defender’s office for comment.
The Justice Department said in a news release that “the complaint further alleges that Shapiro pleaded guilty in federal court in 2019 for making threatening communications to another victim.”
This story has been updated with additional information.
