The brother of New York Congressman received threatening text messages on the day domestic terrorists attempted a violent coup at the Capitol in Washington.
According to the New York Times, Hasan Jeffries, a history professor, received a text that read, “Your brother is putting your entire family at risk with his lies and other words. We are armed and nearby your house. You had better have a word with him. We are not far from his either.” The text included a photo of a house from Hasan Jeffries’ neighborhood.
A text to an unspecified relative of ABC journalist George Stephanopoulos said that his “words are putting you and your family at risk. We are nearby armed and ready.”
In another text to Jeffries’ brother, Robert Lemke, 35, of Bay Point, California insisted that he and his terrorist cohorts are “not white supremacists.”
Neither Jeffries or Stephanopoulos were identified in the federal indictment, unsealed in the Southern District of New York Court today, but Jeffries confirmed he and his family were targeted. A person familiar with the threats confirmed Stephanopoulos was the person listed in the complaint as “Journalist-1”.
Lemke claimed to be former sergeant with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department as well as a former captain in the United States Air Force on social media profiles, but the Sheriff’s office said Lemke never worked there, and the Air Force has no record of Robert Lemke serving, let alone being an officer.
Lemke’s Facebook page is chock full of threats, including saying “Folks. Be ready for war. Trump has refused to cede.”
Lemke is latest in a string of right-wing activists who have made threats to Democratic politicians and those who oppose Donald Trump. Last week, a Queens man was arrested for threatening Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.