New York man accused of making death threats against Schumer, Schiff

A man in New York has been charged with making death threats against Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), citing their role in the impeachment effort against President Trump.

Salvatore Lippa II, 57, of Greece, N.Y., was charged with threatening to assault and kill federal officials and interstate communication of a threat on account of the performance of their official duties, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of New York announced this week.

According to court documents reviewed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Eldridge, Schiff’s office in Washington, D.C., received a voicemail on Jan. 23 that included a death threat. Two weeks later, on Feb. 4, Schumer’s office in Albany, N.Y., received a threatening voicemail as well.

The United States Capitol Police investigated the mysterious calls and tracked them back to Lippa, who subsequently acknowledged to police that he made the calls, authorities said.

Lippa “admitted to making the threatening calls to Congressman Schiff and Senator Schumer because he was upset about the impeachment proceedings,” the Justice Department said in a press release.

A transcript from Schumer’s phone call included threatening language against the chairman and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), local CBS affiliate WROC reported.

“Hey Schumer, you and Nancy Pelosi are two of the biggest … scumbags who ever lived. And let me tell you something, somebody wants to assassinate you, I’m going to be the driver,” the transcripts say in part.

Schumer responded to the threat during an appearance in New York earlier this week. 

“There are always haters, and I just want to compliment law enforcement here in the Rochester area,” he told reporters.

Lippa faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. He was released from custody on Wednesday with limited restrictions and a monitoring device.