A Washington state man was arrested yesterday for repeated violent voicemail threats to Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) because of the way the congresswoman voted on the the health care reform bill. The FBI charged Charles Alan Wilson of Selah, WA with threatening a federal official, which is punishable by 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, reported the Christian Science Monitor. During part of the recorded voice message, Wilson said, “There’s a target on your back now…it only takes one piece of lead…kill the [expletive] senator…now that you’ve passed your health-care bill, let the violence begin,” according to MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show. According to the Monitor, he added, “You low-life, backstabbing, lying, cheating politicians are going to be held accountable. And hopefully it is with your life.” According to Rachel Maddow, host of The Rachel Maddow Show, an FBI agent called the blocked number, which was traced back to Wilson’s home number, and pretended to be a member of Patients United Now, which is part of Americans for Prosperity, the group that organized “Hands off my healthcare” protests. According to the FBI’s transcript, Wilson “confirmed he regularly placed calls to Senator Murray’s and Senator Maria Cantwell’s office” and that he would not hesitate to use his handgun if given the chance. Relatedly, Representative John Lewis (D-GA) has made recent claims that he and other members of the Congressional Black Caucus received threats during tea party protests last month in Washington, DC, reported The Wall Street Journal.
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