US man arrested for threatening Ilhan Omar

[Deeq A.]

Police say the man threatened Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Eric Swalwell and Cory Booker.

Police arrested a Florida man on Friday on suspicion of leaving racist, homophobic and Islamophobic messages filled with death threats on the voicemails of several Democratic members of Congress.

John Kless, 49, of Broward County, is accused of leaving expletive-strewn voicemail death threats at the Washington, DC, offices of California Representative Eric Swalwell, Detroit Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker. In the messages, he allegedly threatened and expressed his hatred for Ilhan Omar.

Tlaib and Omar are the first Muslim women in Congress. Booker, who is African America, and Swalwell are running for the Democratic 2020 presidential nomination.

 Kless allegedly said in his racist message to Booker that “you government officials will be in the graves where you … belong”. He also allegedly defended the white supremacist who rammed his car into a group of counterprotesters at the August 2017 Unite the Right rally and killed 32-year-old Heather Heyer, US media reported.

Kless is said to have racially abused Omar, a Somali-American former refugee, referencing a recent controversy in which she was accused of downplaying the September 11, 2001 attacks, and allegation she and her supporters, including top Democrats deny. He allegedly said in one of the messages that he would like to throw Omar off the Empire State Building, according to local media.

Kless, who reportedly defended President Donald Trump in the messages and warned the politicians to stop criticising the president, has been charged with making threatening communications.

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