Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene swatting hoax: Rome police speak out on dangers of false reports
ATLANTA - Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene revealed on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that she fell victim to a "swatting" incident on Christmas. This marked the eighth occurrence of such incidents targeting her, according to Greene.
The incident unfolded when a man in New York made a distress call to the Georgia suicide hotline just before 11 a.m. on Monday. In the call, he claimed to have shot his girlfriend at the Georgia Republican's residence and expressed intentions to take his own life, said Rome Police spokesperson Kelly Madden. Recognizing the address as belonging to the Georgia congresswoman, suicide hotline responders promptly transferred the call to the police.
"There was no crisis, there was nothing happening at that location that would warrant any type of emergency response," Madden said.
In a separate post, Greene shared screenshots of menacing messages she asserted she had received just days before the Christmas incident.
"With it being who it was, of course, the Capitol Police can be involved in our criminal investigations division can be involved. Her security team will be involved. There are multiple levels of investigation that will be involved," Madden said.
Police reached out to Greene's private security detail to ensure her safety and confirm that there was no actual emergency at her residence. The call was determined to be a swatting attempt, leading to the cancelation of the police response en route, as explained by Madden.
"We determined before our personnel could get to her location that there was no emergency and there was no reason to respond," Madden stated. "Her security detail had it all under control, and there actually was nothing going on."
Expressing gratitude to her local police, Greene wrote, "My local police are the GREATEST and shouldn’t have to deal with this. I appreciate them so much, and my family and I are in joyous spirits celebrating the birth of our savior Jesus Christ!"
"Your mind goes into that mode of help and when you realize that it was a fake it's almost a let-down because your body and your mind prepare, or they're continually prepared for the response that you should have," Madden said.
Police say these types of calls are extremely dangerous and could put innocent, unrelated civilians at risk.
"If we've been called out on a false call, we could be depleting the resources from someone who truly needs an emergency response. What if that was a baby who was choking? What if that was a burning car?" Madden said.
That is especially true on a major holiday such as Christmas.
"When you cover a city as big as Rome is, even if you have two officers respond to one location, that diminishes your response time for any of the others who may be waiting on another call," Madden added.
The Rome Police Department's criminal investigations division is actively working to identify the caller from Monday's incident and build a case, Madden stated. In a related incident, another New York man was sentenced to three months in prison in August for making threatening phone calls to Greene's Washington, D.C., office.
Greene has been a recurrent target of "swatting" calls, where false reports claiming serious crimes at her Rome residence are made to the police. Madden confirmed that her statement about experiencing approximately eight swatting attempts is accurate. Past calls included claims of finding dead bodies in various areas of her home, located about 70 miles northwest of Atlanta, all of which were confirmed by police as false reports.
Who is Marjorie Taylor Greene?
Representing the cities of Rome, Dalton, and Calhoun in northwest Georgia, Greene, in her first term, faced committee assignment removal by the former House Democratic majority due to racist comments, endorsement of conspiracy theories, and past support for violence against Democratic officials. Under the current Republican leadership, she has regained influence and remains a prominent figure for the far-right.
She was labeled a "future Republican Star" by former President Donald Trump, whose political style she emulates.
What is swatting?
A swatting call is a disturbing criminal trend where someone reports to emergency services false information that would spark an emergency response, usually by an armed team, to be dispatched to an unsuspecting person's address.
This dangerous practice often involves hoaxing emergency service dispatchers with false reports of serious law enforcement emergencies, such as bomb threats, murders, hostage situations, or even fictitious mental health crises, where individuals may be falsely labeled as suicidal or homicidal, potentially armed, among other fabricated scenarios.
The term "swatting" is derived from the specialized law enforcement unit known as "SWAT," short for special weapons and tactics, in the United States. Equipped with distinct tactical gear and weapons, SWAT teams are summoned to high-risk situations. Such false threats can lead to the evacuation of schools and businesses, causing significant disruptions. Advocates argue that swatting should be classified as terrorism due to its potential to intimidate and create a real risk of injury or death.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., is seen outside the U.S. Capitol after last votes of the week on Thursday, December 7, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
What is the law when it comes to swatting?
A person who makes a swatting call can be charged with an unlawful request for emergency services assistance. The charge initially is a "misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature," according to the Georgia statutes, unless it interferes with "critical infrastructure." Then it becomes a felony punishable by incarceration for no less than 5 years and no more than 10 years, a $100,000 fine, or both.
A person who is convicted for a second time faces no less than 5 to no more than 10 years in prison, a $5,000 fine, or both.
If serious bodily injury or death results due to a false call, an additional punishment of one to 10 years in prison, a $5,000 fine, or both could also be added.
In addition, a judge is allowed to order restitution to be paid to any victims.
Compounding charges may also apply depending on the circumstance of the nature of the swatting incident.
What do the federal laws say about swatting?
As with Georgia’s laws, swatting is illegal at the federal level. In addition, compounding factors determine what a person convicted of a swatting call may face as a punishment.
The court will take into consideration different factors such as how the threat was transmitted, who was the target of the threat, what false threat was made, and what happened during the response.
Typically, reporting a false crime can carry up to five years in prison on its own. Implying the use of explosives could net up to 10 years in prison. If there was serious bodily harm, a prankster could spend up to 20 years in prison and if death occurs, they could face life in prison.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.