A man from Billings, Montana, was found guilty on Wednesday for threatening former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy over the government’s response to a Chinese spy balloon that flew over the U.S. last year.
Richard Rogers, 45, was convicted by a jury for making threats to a McCarthy staff member on February 3, 2023—just a day after the Pentagon revealed they were monitoring the balloon, which had been spotted over Montana during its traverse across the country. The balloon was later shot down in the Atlantic Ocean due to safety concerns about shooting it down while it was over land.
Rogers bombarded McCarthy’s office with over 100 threatening phone calls within just 75 minutes. In addition to these threats, he was convicted of making harassing calls to the FBI tips line, using inappropriate language throughout both sets of communications.
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During the three-day trial, Rogers described his calls to the FBI and McCarthy as forms of “civil disobedience.” However, prosecutors maintained that his threats and abusive language clearly crossed the line of protected speech under the First Amendment.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Godfrey emphasized, “You can’t talk to people that way. It’s common sense. He’s calling not out of political protest; he’s calling because he gets enjoyment out of it.”
S sentencing is set for January 31, where Rogers may face up to six years in prison and a $250,000 fine for threatening a member of Congress. He also risks an additional two years behind bars and another $250,000 fine for his harassment charges.
Political violence against public figures has escalated in the U.S. recently. Following two assassination attempts on former President Donald Trump, the Department of Justice announced it would bolster safety measures ahead of the 2024 election.
Assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriarte stated, “The Department has no tolerance for violence and illegal threats of violence against public officials, government offices, and election infrastructure. These crimes are attacks on our democracy.”