ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia man facing allegations of leaving threatening voicemails for two Republican U.S. senators appeared in federal court on Monday to address the charges.
Robert Davis Forney, 25, a resident of Duluth, Georgia, was arraigned in Atlanta. He faces two federal charges for transmitting threats across state lines, as documented in court records. His indictment came from a grand jury last week.
“Threatening our elected officials and their families is an act of violence that undermines our entire democracy,” stated U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Engaging in political discourse and debates should never escalate to vicious attacks against our nation’s leaders.”
According to prosecutors, Forney called the office of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in January and left voicemails that threatened sexual violence against Cruz and his family. Forney left a similar voicemail threatening sexual violence against Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer the next day, authorities said.
A federal public defender assigned to Forney’s case didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment about the charges.
