Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) became the latest election official to be swatted, the lawmaker announced on X.
“Tonight my family and I were the target of a ‘swatting’ incident involving a 911 prank call that wrongly diverted a police presence to my home,” the House Majority Whip said. “Sadly, this illegal and dangerous scheme is being used nationwide to target elected officials.”
Thankfully, no one was home or injured. I condemn this illegal abuse of police resources.
— Tom Emmer (@GOPMajorityWhip) January 28, 2024
I want to thank the Wright County Sheriff’s Office for their professionalism and support.
I will have no additional comment on this matter.
Swatting is when a fake crime is reported to police in an attempt to elicit a heavy law enforcement response, preferably from a SWAT team.
Last month, more than a dozen prominent individuals and politicians were swatted nationwide, including Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley.
An unknown man called police to her Kiawah Island home alleging he shot his girlfriend while at the residence and was considering harming himself, according to The Hill.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has also been a repeated victim of swatting, and pledged to introduce legislation to track down those responsible.
Earlier this month, GOP Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama introduced The Preserving Safe Communities by Ending Swatting Act.
“Last month, criminals attempted a ‘swatting’ on my home in Florida in a despicable act of cowardice, clearly intending to terrorize my family and inflict fear and violence,” Scott said in a statement. “This is happening around the nation, not just to elected officials, but also to hundreds of Jewish institutions. It’s sickening, dangerous and we must stop it. I’m incredibly grateful for the work of law enforcement around our nation to keep us safe and put their lives on the line every day. They shouldn’t be put in danger and have their time and resources wasted because of these disgusting hoaxes. Today, I am introducing a bill to make sure the criminals who make these false calls and waste law enforcement resources face serious consequences, including years in prison, if anyone is seriously harmed. We must send a message to the cowards behind these calls—this isn’t a joke, it’s a crime.”