Federal law enforcement has come under criticism following the claims made by two Republican Congress members that their homes were targeted in “swatting” incidents on Christmas Day.
Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene revealed that her residence in Rome, Georgia, became the target of a swatting incident on Monday morning. She and her family were in the midst of celebrating the holiday when this alarming event took place. Similarly, New York Congressman Brandon Williams shared on X, formerly Twitter, that his house in Cayuga County, New York, was also swatted later that same afternoon.
Williams expressed gratitude towards the Deputies and Troopers who reached out to him prior to their arrival. He warmly stated, “They departed with homemade cookies and spiced nuts! Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!”
Swatting refers to the malicious act of falsely reporting a crime at someone else’s address, leading to law enforcement authorities being dispatched to their home. According to Greene, she revealed on X that her house has been subjected to swatting calls for the eighth time on Monday.
Major Rodney Bailey of the Rome Police Department in Georgia, in a conversation with NBC News, stated that an individual from another Rome, specifically the one in upstate New York, contacted the suicide hotline, alleging that he had shot his girlfriend at Greene’s residence. Upon receiving this information, the police reached out to Greene’s security team. After assessing the situation, the security team concluded that it was not necessary for the police to respond to the congresswoman’s home.
I reached out to the police department in Rome, Georgia, for more information, according to Newsweek.
Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck, in an email to Newsweek, confirmed that his officers, along with the New York State Police, promptly responded to a distress call at the home of New York congressman Williams. The call, which claimed a shooting had taken place, was later determined to be a false report, categorizing it as a swatting incident.
The false report is currently being investigated by the Cayuga County Sheriff’s Department in order to identify the person responsible. Additionally, the Capitol Police are conducting their own investigation, as stated by Williams on X.
Many users on X platform expressed their criticism towards the FBI regarding the swatting incidents. One notable voice was Greene, who strongly denounced the federal law enforcement agency for their failure to identify the culprits responsible for the calls made to her residence. Greene was subjected to multiple swatting incidents within a single week in August 2022.
A user of X expressed their lack of surprise but still found it appalling that the FBI no longer serves the country but rather the Marxist democrat party. They criticized the FBI for calling a suspect on the phone and believing their word over the user’s, deeming it disgraceful.
Several individuals also expressed their concerns in the comments section of Williams’ post to X. One user went as far as to claim that swatting a representative is considered an act of treason.
According to a user named LiveJD, the Federal Government has the capability to locate these individuals quickly. They claim that it would be a relatively simple task if the government were given the instructions to do so. The user believes that it would only take approximately 15 minutes for the government to find these people.
In her post to X, Greene expressed her intention to introduce legislation aimed at apprehending swatters. She further revealed that her office had received death threats from an individual on December 21. Although federal law enforcement had not made any arrests, they did reach out to Greene’s office via email to inform them about a phone interview they conducted with the perpetrator.
The congresswoman criticized the response of federal officers, drawing a comparison to how the FBI has handled prosecutions of those involved in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Marjorie Taylor Greene expressed her shock and disbelief at the email response, highlighting the absurdity of the situation and questioning why the individual responsible had not been arrested. As a gun owner, she emphasized her gratitude for her ability to protect herself. Greene contrasted this lack of action with how the FBI and DOJ handle individuals involved in the January 6th events, former President Trump, and those they consider political adversaries.
She added that it was an incredible double standard.
Prosecution for swatting incidents varies depending on state laws. In Georgia and New York, individuals who make false reports to law enforcement can be charged with a misdemeanor. However, in New York, there is a proposed bill by State Assemblyman Scott Gray to elevate swatting to a class E felony.
On Monday, Newsweek emailed the FBI Press Office for comment.
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