A man from Montana, Richard Rogers, aged 45, has been found guilty by a federal jury for making threatening phone calls against then-Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy. The conviction came after Rogers made over 100 threatening calls to McCarthy's office following the U.S. government's shooting down of a Chinese balloon over Montana.
Prosecutors revealed that Rogers made the calls in a span of just 75 minutes on February 3 of the previous year. Additionally, he also placed over 150 calls to the FBI tip line between 2021 and 2022.
Authorities described Rogers' calls as frequently containing vulgar and offensive language, along with physical threats. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Godfrey emphasized the inappropriateness of such behavior, stating, 'You can’t talk to people that way. It’s common sense. He’s calling not out of political protest; he’s calling because he gets enjoyment out of it.'
During the court proceedings, Rogers argued that his calls were a form of 'civil disobedience,' triggered by perceived disrespect towards him. He admitted to using abusive language against congressional staff and receptionists, citing their behavior towards him as the reason for his actions.
Rogers is scheduled to be sentenced on January 31 and could face a maximum penalty of six years in prison and a $250,000 fine for threatening to harm a congressman. For the harassment conviction, he may face up to two years in prison and an additional $250,000 fine.
