U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., offered no immediate comment Monday on the indictment. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)
LINCOLN — A 25-year-old Georgia man was arraigned Monday in Atlanta on charges of making threats across state lines against Nebraska Republican U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer and Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, federal prosecutors announced.
Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas shakes hands with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman following a hearing of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on Thursday, May 8, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
A federal grand jury last week indicted Robert Davis Forney, of Duluth, Georgia, for allegedly leaving voicemails at Fischer’s office and Cruz’s. Prosecutors say he threatened “sexual violence” against both senators, Fischer on Jan. 10 and Cruz on Jan. 9. Authorities say Forney left multiple voicemails threatening “sexual violence” against Cruz and his family.
“Threatening our elected officials and their families is an act of violence that undermines our entire democracy,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg, who oversees federal prosecutions in north Georgia. “Political discourse and disagreements never justify resorting to vile attacks against our nation’s leaders.”
The Justice Department prosecution comes on the heels of the successful manhunt that ended Sunday for a Minnesota man who allegedly assassinated a Minnesota lawmaker and shot another.
The increase in political violence follows a 2024 in which violent threats against lawmakers reached a record high for the second consecutive year.
President Donald Trump, a Republican, survived two assassination attempts during his bid to return to the White House. This year, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, had an arsonist attack the Governor’s Mansion, and two Israeli Embassy staffers were killed in Washington, D.C.
Fischer offered no immediate comment Monday on the indictment. The FBI and the U.S. Capitol Police are investigating the incidents, according to the release.
Congressional staffers in recent years have reported increases in the number of angry calls from the public. Most calls from the public to congressional representatives and senators are answered by young staffers who are often college-aged.
Staffers at the Nebraska Capitol have similarly complained about the increased vitriol from callers during recent debates about legislation seeking to change how the state awards its Electoral College votes for president, proposals for stricter abortion bans and limits on health care for transgender young people.
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