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| Man charged with threatening to kill Schiff said he had right to defend ‘his president,’ prosecutors say | Man charged with threatening to kill Schiff said he had right to defend ‘his president,’ prosecutors say |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| A Connecticut man has been charged with threatening to kill Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), the powerful chairman of the House Intelligence Committee who played a key role in the impeachment proceedings against President Trump and has been a frequent target of Trump’s criticism, authorities announced Monday. | A Connecticut man has been charged with threatening to kill Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), the powerful chairman of the House Intelligence Committee who played a key role in the impeachment proceedings against President Trump and has been a frequent target of Trump’s criticism, authorities announced Monday. |
| Robert M. Phelps, 62, sent a message in November through Schiff’s online meeting scheduler saying, “I want to come and see you so I can spit in your face and I want to kill you with my bare hands and smash your sick little round fat lying face in,” an FBI agent alleged in an affidavit. He then signed the message in his own name and added, “Republican,” according to the affidavit. | Robert M. Phelps, 62, sent a message in November through Schiff’s online meeting scheduler saying, “I want to come and see you so I can spit in your face and I want to kill you with my bare hands and smash your sick little round fat lying face in,” an FBI agent alleged in an affidavit. He then signed the message in his own name and added, “Republican,” according to the affidavit. |
| The FBI traced Phelps to an address in Torrington, Conn., by issuing a subpoena to the email service provider attached to the message, and showed up to interview him in December. Phelps, according to the affidavit, told investigators he had a “right to contact members of Congress and defend ‘his president,’ ” and asked if they were in his home because of Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). | The FBI traced Phelps to an address in Torrington, Conn., by issuing a subpoena to the email service provider attached to the message, and showed up to interview him in December. Phelps, according to the affidavit, told investigators he had a “right to contact members of Congress and defend ‘his president,’ ” and asked if they were in his home because of Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). |
| Meet Rep. Adam Schiff, the Democrat Trump just made the face of opposition on Russia | Meet Rep. Adam Schiff, the Democrat Trump just made the face of opposition on Russia |
| Phelps also said the Democrats who were involved in the then-ongoing impeachment proceedings against Trump should be arrested, according to the affidavit. The FBI agent stated that there was probable cause to believe that Phelps’s threats were meant to interfere with Schiff’s official duties, “including his responsibilities regarding the previous impeachment proceedings.” | Phelps also said the Democrats who were involved in the then-ongoing impeachment proceedings against Trump should be arrested, according to the affidavit. The FBI agent stated that there was probable cause to believe that Phelps’s threats were meant to interfere with Schiff’s official duties, “including his responsibilities regarding the previous impeachment proceedings.” |
| Trump was ultimately impeached by the Democratic-controlled House for abusing his power and obstructing Congress in connection with pressure he put on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former vice president Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden. He was acquitted in the Republican-controlled Senate earlier this year. | Trump was ultimately impeached by the Democratic-controlled House for abusing his power and obstructing Congress in connection with pressure he put on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former vice president Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden. He was acquitted in the Republican-controlled Senate earlier this year. |
| Phelps was arrested Friday and released on a $25,000 bond. The charges were announced Monday by U.S. Attorney John Durham, who Attorney General William P. Barr has tapped for an assignment of keen interest to Trump: examining the origins of the FBI’s 2016 probe into whether his campaign coordinated with Russia. The charges against Phelps, though, are not related to that assignment, but rather to Durham’s normal work as the top federal prosecutor in Connecticut. | |
| Trump has frequently attacked Schiff for his committee’s own investigation of whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to influence the 2016 election. | Trump has frequently attacked Schiff for his committee’s own investigation of whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to influence the 2016 election. |
| A spokesman for Schiff declined to comment, and a lawyer for Phelps did not immediately return a message seeking comment. | A spokesman for Schiff declined to comment, and a lawyer for Phelps did not immediately return a message seeking comment. |