Multiple Democrats say they were targeted by Thanksgiving bomb threats

Multiple Connecticut Democrats said they were targeted by bomb threats on their homes on Thanksgiving Day.

Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) said on Thursday that he was notified of a bomb threat targeting his Connecticut home. Himes, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, said multiple law enforcement officers responded to the incident and that a bomb was not discovered.

“Thankfully, after a swift and thorough response from the United States Capitol Police, the Greenwich Police Department, and the Stamford Police Department, no evidence of a bomb was found. Mary, Emma, Linley, and I extend our utmost gratitude to our local law enforcement officers for their immediate action to ensure our safety,” Himes said in a statement.

“There is no place for political violence in this country, and I hope that we may all continue through the holiday season with peace and civility,” he added.

The Hill has reached out to the Greenwich Police Department for comment.

Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) also shared on Thursday that law enforcement came to his house “in response to a bomb threat.” He said that the bomb was not found at the property and that his family members were safe. He thanked the East Hartford Police Department “for their swift and professional response in ensuring the safety of my family.”

“I am grateful that my colleagues in the Connecticut Congressional Delegation, who received similar threats, are also safe,” he said. “Thanks again to law enforcement at every level, from local, to state, to federal.”

The East Hartford Police Department confirmed to The Hill that they responded to the bomb threat in the mailbox. The law enforcement searched the area and mailbox, but they did not find “any evidence of a bomb or anything suspicious,” according to the department’s public information officer.

Similarly, Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.) said in a statement that she was notified by local authorities that they received a “threatening email stating a pipe bomb had been placed in the mailbox at my home.”

Hayes said that state police and Wolcott Police Department responded and that following a search, did not discover a bomb or any explosive materials. She added that the investigation is ongoing.

Wolcott Police Department confirmed the incident to The Hill and said they are performing a joint investigation alongside state police and the U.S. Capital Police.

“I thank law enforcement for their swift attention to this matter, their actions demonstrate there is no place in our country for political violence,” Hayes said in a statement on Thursday.

Democratic lawmaker Joe Courtney (Conn.) was targeted with a bomb threat Thursday morning, his spokesperson said in a statement to The Hill.

Local authorities, U.S. Capitol Police and the bomb squad responded to the scene and a bomb was not found on the property.

“Joe and Audrey extend their utmost gratitude to the law enforcement officers, whose response should signal to perpetrators that these types of threats will not be tolerated,” Courtney’s spokesperson said in a statement.

Sen. Chris Murphy's (D-Conn.) office also confirmed he received a threat.

“On Thanksgiving, Senator Murphy’s home in Hartford was the target of a bomb threat, which appears to be part of a coordinated effort involving multiple members of Congress and public figures," his office said in a statement. "Hartford Police and U.S. Capitol Police quickly responded and determined there was no real threat. The Senator is grateful to Mayor Arulampalam, Interim Police Chief Howell, and the law enforcement officers at Hartford PD and USCP for their swift and thorough response.”

The threats come shortly after several of President-elect Trump’s appointees and nominees were similarly targeted by bomb threats earlier this week, including current Republican House lawmakers Rep. Elise Stefanik (N.Y.), who Trump tapped to be his ambassador to the United Nations, and Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (Ore.), his choice for Labor secretary.

President Biden was briefed on Wednesday’s incidents, according to a White House spokesperson. The FBI said on Wednesday that it was aware of “numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees” and that it was “working with our law enforcement partners.”

The Hill has reached out to U.S. Capitol Police for comment.

Updated: 4:35 p.m. ET

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