A Pentagon cybersecurity contractor has reportedly been charged with threatening to kill Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) after she introduced a vaccine bill in the House, the Daily Beast reports.
A criminal complaint filed to the U.S. District Court of Maryland and seen by The Hill says the contractor, Darryl Albert Varnum, left a voicemail with the office of an unidentified lawmaker with a threatening message.
Daily Beast said it had determined the threat was directed at Wilson and was left at her Florida office. The publication did not specify how it had obtained the information.{mosads}
“I will f—ing come down and kill your f—ing ass,” the voicemail said, the Daily Beast reported, citing the criminal complaint. “And you’re a congressperson, that is fine. I hope the f—ing FBI, CIA and everybody else hears this shit.”
“This is the United States of America, bitch. Get the f— out,” the voicemail reportedly continued. “I will come down there and personally f—ing kill you … Like the Cubans don’t even know.”
Wilson’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill.
Wilson introduced in May the Vaccinate All Children Act of 2019, which exempts children from getting vaccinated only if a doctor certifies it could jeopardize their health.
Varnum’s wife told police her husband was having “behavioral issues” in 2015, when he yelled that ISIS fighters were coming to their house to fight him and told police he owned “numerous guns” while appearing to be drunk, the complaint stated.
Varnum only has one registered weapon — a .45 caliber pistol, the complaint says.