The U.S. Capitol Police has confirmed that they have enlisted three special prosecutors to investigate threats directed at members of Congress and assist in prosecuting cases involving such threats.
Capitol Police indicated in January that they anticipate an increase in the number of threats as the presidential election draws nearer to November.
Capitol Police Assistant Chief Ashan Benedict remarked, “With the political conventions, member campaigns, and many issues being debated on Capitol Hill, this is going to be a very busy year for our special agents.”
The special assistant attorneys will not be handling the prosecution of cases related to January 6, 2021. Instead, they will provide guidance to the Justice Department in cases involving suspects who have made threats against lawmakers.
In 2023, the Capitol Police investigated over 8,000 threats directed at members of Congress, marking a notable increase compared to the previous year. In 2022, there were approximately 7,500 threats reported. However, both of these figures are lower than the number of threats recorded in 2021, when around 9,600 threats occurred.
The three newly hired prosecutors are located across the United States, with one stationed in Washington, D.C., another in San Jose, California, and the third in Tampa, Florida. The hirings were first reported on Tuesday.
Tad DiBiase, the general counsel for Capitol Police, explained that the number of actual prosecutions vs. threats is actually pretty low.
