‘Radical rats’: Florida man pleads guilty to threatening Rep. Ilhan Omar
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., attends a bill enrollment ceremony for the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act in the Capitol on Thursday, June 17, 2021. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
A Florida man pleaded guilty Tuesday to threatening a member of Congress.
David Hannon, 67, of Sarasota pleaded guilty to one count of threatening a federal official after authorities said he sent a hate-filled email to Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota that also made a threat on her life.
According to information presented at the guilty plea hearing, on July 16, 2019, while in Sarasota, Hannon sent the email in question after a televised press conference held by Rep. Omar and three other congresswomen.
The Department of Justice said the subject line of his email read, "(You’re) dead, you radical Muslim."
Hannon referred to Omar and the other congresswomen of color as "radical rats," and asked Omar if she was prepared "to die for Islam." The email further stated that Hannon was going to shoot her in the head.
Omar is one of only a handful of Muslim members of Congress.
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"No one should fear violence because of who they are or what they believe," said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida in a statement. "Unlawful threats against our elected officials are an assault against our democracy, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to seek justice in these cases."
The charge of threatening a federal official carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. A sentencing date wasn't immediately set.
This story was reported from Detroit.