An Indiana man has been arrested and charged with making a series of threatening calls to Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and his family.
Aaron Thompson, 33, of Fort Wayne, was arrested last month in connection with calls he allegedly made to Banks’s office in April. Thompson allegedly called Banks’s office on April 6 and another seven times on April 11.
In a subsequent April 11 message left with Banks’s office, Thompson said, “I hope you [expletive] get your brains blown out.”
Throughout the phone calls, Thompson indicated he had a gun.
In his last two April 11 calls, Thompson allegedly posed a dilemma for the congressman, to either die or have his daughters killed. Banks has three daughters.
“Here’s the choice. Your daughters grow up without their dad, or you grow old without your daughters,” Thompson allegedly said. “How you like that? Let me know what your opinion is. I'll make the decision. Love you [expletive] [expletive].”
“Boom Boom you pick which two daughters get shot,” Thompson allegedly added.
Thompson is charged with intimidation, a Level 6 felony in Indiana that carries a penalty of between six months and 2 1/2 years of prison time. He is also charged with harassment, a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to 180 days in jail.
The U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) Department, which is charged with protecting the Capitol and members of Congress, assisted Allen County law enforcement officials and prosecutors with the investigation.
When questioned about the threatening phone calls, Thompson told USCP investigators he had been intoxicated when he made the calls. Thompson also allegedly told the USCP investigators he left the voicemails because he disagrees with Banks politically.
“On May 9, 2023, we worked with our local law enforcement partners in Indiana to arrest 33-year-old Aaron L. Thompson for harassment & intimidation,” USCP said in an emailed statement to NTD News. “This case is just another example of how our threat agents are working around the clock to chase down threats in order to protect the Members of Congress.”
When reached for comment, Banks said, “The safety of my family is my top priority,” while his office referred all questions about the case to the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office.
Recent Threats Against Lawmakers
Several lawmakers and their families have faced threats in recent months.“Hey stupid. I’m a veteran sniper, and unless you change your ways, I got my scope pointed in your direction and I’m coming to get you,” Landry allegedly said in a May 17 voice message. “You’re a dead man walking, you piece of [expletive] [expletive].”