Rep. Greene Targeted by Swatting Attempt on Christmas Day

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) speaks to reporters as House Republicans hold a caucus meeting at the Longworth House Office Building in Washington on Oct. 13, 2023. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) made public allegations on social media of being swatted twice in recent days and receiving death threats, accusing federal law enforcement of an inadequate response to the alleged threat.

Swatting is falsely soliciting an emergency response from law enforcement in order to target a specific victim. Perpetrators commit this act by phoning emergency services like 911 and inventing a story about a hostage situation or a gunfight, to get a response team to go to a designated address.

In a series of posts to X, formerly Twitter, Ms. Greene stated she was swatted twice at her home in Georgia—once on Christmas Day and before that on Dec. 21. The lawmaker noted that these incidents make a total of eight times she has had the police falsely sent to her residence.

She also shared what she described as a death threat against her and former President Donald Trump, as well as another well-known Republican, from someone identifying himself as Ben McLean. Ms. Green, in her post on X,  put up screen shots of the alleged threat, which included violent verbal imagery and references to a notorious killer.

“We received this death threat where this man is saying I will be shot in the head and skinned to make a ‘parasol,’” Ms. Greene said in her social media post, asserting that the threat made reference to a killer who made items out of his victim’s skin. According to the lawmaker, the sender also said he “would like to smash” President Trump’s head on a curb.

Ms. Greene further stated in her posts that while Capitol Police contacted Mr. McLean, he had not been arrested. She contrasted this with the treatment of individuals involved in the Jan. 6th Capitol riot, suggesting a double standard in law enforcement practices.

Concerns Regarding Law Enforcement

The congresswoman highlighted concerns about the FBI’s role in the situation. She questioned why the agency hadn’t investigated the threats more forcefully, contrasting its past surveillance actions with its seeming inaction in this case. She also pointed out Mr. McLean’s alleged claim of contact with an FBI agent.

“They have not arrested Ben McLean yet,” Ms. Greene said, asserting that Capitol Police and FBI were inadequate in their response. “They simply called him on the phone, and Cap Police sent us this email about what he said.” 

The lawmaker also shared a screenshot on X of an email, allegedly from law enforcement, recapping their investigation of Mr. McLean, noting that he claimed to have no actual intent to cause anyone harm.

Ms. Greene expressed gratitude in a later post on X to her local police department in Georgia about their response to the attempt to send police to her home. She also announced her intention to introduce legislation to address the issue of swatting and emphasized the dangers of such tactics and the need for effective responses to prevent harm.

“Swatting is extremely dangerous, and people have been killed as a result of swatting calls,” Ms. Greene said on X . “It’s also a waste of police time and resources ... and harassment.”

A spokesperson for the Rome, Georgia, Police Department said that the department did not dispatch officers to the lawmaker’s residence after swiftly establishing that the call was a hoax.

The department stated that just before 11 a.m. on Monday, a man calling from New York dialed the suicide hotline for Georgia, claiming he had shot his fiancée at Ms. Greene’s residence and was planning to commit suicide. Suicide hotline agents promptly relayed the call to law enforcement upon confirming the address of the Georgia congresswoman.

In Washington, a representative for Capitol Police responded to The Epoch Times’s request for comment about the incident, saying that “anytime a member of Congress is the victim of a ’swatting' incident, we work closely with our local and federal law enforcement partners.

“To protect ongoing investigations and to minimize the risk of copy-cats, we cannot provide more details at this time.”

The FBI responded to The Epoch Times’s request, saying that they “do not have a comment” about the specific incident, but offered a general statement about a previously investigated issue.

“The FBI takes all threats very seriously and will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to gather, share, and act upon threat information as it comes to our attention,” the FBI said in an emailed statement. “We urge the public to remain vigilant, and report any and all suspicious activity and/or individuals to law enforcement immediately.”

Rep. Brandon Williams (R-N.Y.) also reported a swatting incident on Dec. 25: “Our home was swatted this afternoon. Thanks to the Deputies and Troopers who contacted me before arriving,” the lawmaker posted on X. “They left with homemade cookies and spiced nuts! Merry Christmas, everyone!”

Previous Swatting Incidents

Last year, Ms. Green reported being swatted two nights in a row, saying in August of 2022 that “someone wanted to get me killed” after the police response team was called to her Georgia residence.

The incident, which took place in the early hours of Aug. 24, would be considered the first of two consecutive swatting attempts within a span of 26 hours, directed at Ms. Greene due to her position on transgender issues.

According to the police report shared with The Epoch Times, following the police response, the suspect contacted authorities using a computer-generated voice and mentioned their connection to a website called “kiwifarm.net,” which is known to have a focus on cyberstalking support. The individual expressed concerns regarding Greene’s stance on “the rights of transgender youth.”

Greene had previously introduced legislation known as the “Protect Children’s Innocence Act,” which aims to classify as a class C felony the act of knowingly providing medical treatment to minors with the intention of altering their biological sex. Under her proposed bill, the penalty ranges from 10 to 25 years of incarceration, accompanied by a maximum fine of $250,000.

Eva Fu, Steve Lance, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.