According to a letter obtained by ABC News, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana declined to pursue a man who made threats to kill an Indiana congressman and his family.
Aaron Thompson, who was later sentenced to two years of probation by the local district attorney in Indiana, left threatening messages for Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN). The letter raises questions about why the U.S. Attorney, who typically handles threats to members of Congress, did not prosecute the case.
“Three daughters. Hey, hey, hey, three bullets hey, hey, hey one wife yay. Oh yeah, yeah, we’ll give her two bullets,” Thompson said in a voicemail, according to the letter.
Banks wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland that Thompson “admitted he had threatened me and my family with violence because he disagreed with my political beliefs.”
“When Capitol Police referred the criminal case against Aaron Thompson to the U.S. Attorney for Northern District of Indiana, they declined to prosecute despite clear evidence that Thompson violated federal law,” Banks stated.
Banks is a candidate for Indiana’s vacant Senate seat.
The Republicans questioned why the DOJ did not press charges in Garland’s case, given that threats against California Representative Eric Swalwell (D) were prosecuted.
The Congressman’s spokeswoman claims that the Justice Department has not reacted to Banks’ letter.
