Prosecutors in Indiana charged a man with harassment and intimidation on June 2 after he repeatedly left threatening voicemails at the office of Republican Rep. Jim Banks, according to an affidavit obtained by the Daily Caller.
Aaron L. Thompson allegedly called Banks’ office at least eight times and threatened to kill the congressman or his daughters, according to a probable cause affidavit signed by an Indiana State Police Department detective. Thompson later admitted to being drunk while making the calls, according to the affidavit, and is being charged with criminal intimidation and misdemeanor harassment. The arrest and charges were first reported by the Indiana Capital Chronicle.
“Mole-ay, Mole-ay, Mole-ay, Mole-ay, Mole-ay, Mole-ay, Mole-ay hope you die yay Mole-ay three daughters. Hey, hey, hey, three bullets hey, hey, hey one wife yay Oh yeah, yeah, we’ll give her two bullets. Mole-ay how’s your moles on face you little fuckhead,” Thompson said in one message, according to the affidavit.
“Here’s the choice. Your daughters grow up without their dad. Or you grow old without your daughters. How you like that? Let me know what your opinion is. I’ll make the decision. Love you fucking faggot,” he allegedly said in another.
Aaron Thompson PC 23F6 711 by Michael Ginsberg on Scribd
Banks, who is running for Senate, is one of several members of Congress to face threats of violence in recent months. Two staffers for Democratic Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly were beaten with a baseball bat in May, while Democratic Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig was assaulted in her Washington, DC, apartment. As part of the Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations package, Congress increased Capitol Police funding by 22%. The legislation also gave the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms $2.5 million to establish a “residential security system program.”
“The safety of my family is my top priority. I’ve been instructed to refer all questions about the ongoing criminal investigation to the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office,” Banks said in a statement to the Daily Caller.
