Former Voice of America employee arrested for threats against Marjorie Taylor Greene and her family
The alleged crimes occurred before President Donald Trump’s return to office
A Maryland man has been arrested for allegedly threatening Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and members of her family, federal authorities announced Thursday.
Seth Jason was taken into custody in Washington after a grand jury indicted him on four felony charges, including influencing a federal official by threatening a family member, influencing a federal official by threat, interstate communications with a threat to kidnap or injure, and anonymous telecommunications harassment, according to court records obtained by NBC News.
The indictment alleges Jason “repeatedly threatened to assault and murder the family members of Marjorie Taylor Greene.”
Federal prosecutors say the threats were made between October 11, 2023, and January 21 of this year – before President Trump’s return to office.
According to the Justice Department, the threatening calls to Greene were traced to multiple phone lines connected to studios and control rooms at Voice of America’s headquarters.
At a press conference Thursday, interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said Jason is a former employee of Voice of America and a reserve officer with the Anne Arundel County Police Department.
“You threaten a public official and you face the full force of the law crushing down on you,” Pirro said Thursday.
“There will be no mercy and no excuses.”
Jason remains in custody.
Voice of America, a government-funded news agency that operates with editorial independence, has been significantly scaled back by the Trump administration since his re-election, with hundreds of staffers reportedly dismissed.
It comes after the Senate passed a bill early this morning to take back $9 billion in federal funding, according to The Hill. The $9 billion includes cuts to foreign aid programs and more than $1 billion in cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The bill will head back to the House for a final vote and it’s expected to pass.