The man charged with sending pipe bombs to more than a dozen Democratic figures and CNN last week also threatened Rep. Beto O’RourkeBeto O’RourkeBiden will help close out Texas Democrats’ virtual convention: report O’Rourke on Texas reopening: ‘Dangerous, dumb and weak’ Parties gear up for battle over Texas state House MORE (D-Texas) on Facebook earlier this year, according to O’Rourke’s Senate campaign.
O’Rourke’s campaign forwarded a threat from Cesar Sayoc Jr. to the U.S. Capitol Police in April and then to the FBI in July, O’Rourke spokesman Chris Evans told The Hill on Wednesday.
The Dallas News first reported on the messages.
O’Rourke’s campaign said Sayoc sent messages on Facebook that included photos of the Texas lawmaker’s wife and children.
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“Hug your loved ones everytime [sic] you leave home,” Sayoc wrote, according to screenshots reviewed by the Dallas News. “See you soon.”
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The FBI in an email to The Hill said it cannot confirm that it was alerted to threat against O’Rourke and declined to comment on the investigation.
Capitol Police spokesperson Eva Malecki declined to confirm or deny the account.
“We are working in close coordination with the FBI, and therefore cannot comment on the ongoing investigation,” Malecki wrote in an email to The Hill.
Evans told the Dallas News that FBI agents have been sent to O’Rourke’s El Paso, Texas, office to look through his mail in recent days.
The El Paso FBI office did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment.
O’Rourke’s campaign has said it did not know if he was on the list of around 100 people that Sayoc allegedly planned to target.
Authorities have not released the list, but law enforcement will be warning those who were on the list, NBC reported.
“No one said ‘you are on a list’ but there was immediately a presence including agents and dogs who were at the office even as recent as today,” Evans told The Dallas News.
Sayoc spent months tweeting threatening messages to multiple high-level Democratic figures, according to investigations into his social media profiles. He targeted Democratic lawmakers and personalities with images of slaughtered animals and veiled death threats.
The Florida man was apparently an ardent supporter of President TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote Warren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Esper orders ‘After Action Review’ of National Guard’s role in protests MORE, appearing in video attending at least one of his rallies in 2017.
Most of the figures he is accused of targeting with crude pipe bombs have been publicly mocked or have exchanged criticism with Trump.
A van that authorities took into custody when they arrested Sayoc was plastered with anti-CNN and anti-Democrat stickers, including one that showed former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary ClintonHillary Diane Rodham ClintonWhite House accuses Biden of pushing ‘conspiracy theories’ with Trump election claim Biden courts younger voters — who have been a weakness Trayvon Martin’s mother Sybrina Fulton qualifies to run for county commissioner in Florida MORE with a crosshairs target over her face.
Authorities say Sayoc was behind the explosives sent last week to Clinton, former President Obama, Rep. Maxine WatersMaxine Moore WatersMcCarthy yanks endorsement of California candidate over social media posts Top bank regulator announces abrupt resignation GOP pulls support from California House candidate over ‘unacceptable’ social media posts MORE (R-Calif.) and Democratic mega-donor George Soros, among others.
O’Rourke is locked in a competitive race against incumbent Sen. Ted CruzRafael (Ted) Edward CruzSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote The Hill’s Morning Report – Trump’s public standing sags after Floyd protests GOP senators introduce resolution opposing calls to defund the police MORE (R-Texas), who has received Trump’s endorsement. Recent polls have found Cruz leading O’Rourke by the single digits.
Updated: 4:42 p.m.