House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) recently announced that he was “swatted,” detailing a prank call made to law enforcement, which led to a police presence in the Minnesota congresswoman’s home.
On X, formerly known as Twitter, Emmer wrote, “Tonight my family and I were the target of a ‘swatting’ incident involving a 911 prank call that wrongly diverted a police presence to my home. Sadly, this illegal and dangerous scheme is being used nationwide to target elected officials.”
Tonight my family and I were the target of a “swatting” incident involving a 911 prank call that wrongly diverted a police presence to my home.
Sadly, this illegal and dangerous scheme is being used nationwide to target elected officials.
— Tom Emmer (@GOPMajorityWhip) January 28, 2024
The term swatting is used to refer to prank calls made to law enforcement, with the idea of gathering a massive police presence at someone’s home.
In December 2023, multiple politicians were subjected to swatting, including GOP presidential primary contender Nikki Haley.
An anonymous man previously called the police to Haley’s home in Kiawah Island, claiming he had shot his girlfriend and threatened to harm himself, according to Townhall.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) has also been the victim of swatting on several occasions. The Georgia congresswoman has vowed to introduce legislation to hold those committing such actions accountable.
In January 2024, Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) introduced legislation to end swatting, called “The Preserving Safe Communities by Ending Swatting Act.”
In a statement, the Florida lawmaker said he was subjected to swatting at his home in the Sunshine State, noting that such actions are not just happening to politicians across the country but to Jewish institutions as well.
“Last month, criminals attempted a ‘swatting’ on my home in Florida in a despicable act of cowardice, clearly intending to terrorize my family and inflict fear and violence,” Scott said. “This is happening around the nation, not just to elected officials, but also to hundreds of Jewish institutions. It’s sickening, dangerous and we must stop it.”
“I’m incredibly grateful for the work of law enforcement around our nation to keep us safe and put their lives on the line every day. They shouldn’t be put in danger and have their time and resources wasted because of these disgusting hoaxes,” the Florida congresswoman added.
“Today, I am introducing a bill to make sure the criminals who make these fake calls and waste law enforcement resources face serious consequences, including years in prison,” he continued.
