A man from Montana has been convicted of making dozens of threatening phone calls to the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
After the U.S. government shot down a Chinese balloon over Montana, Richard Rodgers, 45, made more than 100 threatening phone calls to then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's office.
A federal jury on Wednesday found Mr. Rogers guilty of threatening violence against Mr. McCarthy and two counts of making harassing phone calls.
Alaska man arrested for threatening six Supreme Court justices
Richard Rodgers and his wife Laurie are seen outside the James F. Battin Federal Courthouse in Billings, Montana. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown)
Prosecutors said Rogers called McCarthy's office more than 100 times in just 75 minutes on February 3 last year.
He also called the FBI tip line more than 150 times in 2021 and 2022.
Authorities say his calls often included physical threats as well as vulgar and offensive comments.
'Shoot it down': Montana Republican demands Biden to remove Chinese spy balloons that have been flying over us for days
“You can't talk to people that way. That's common sense,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Godfrey said. “He's not calling out of political protest, he's calling because he's having fun.”
Mr. Rogers said in court that the dozens of phone calls to Mr. McCarthy's office — inspired by Chinese balloons but commenting on everything from the FBI to President Biden — were a form of “civil disobedience.” he claimed.
Speaker Emeritus Kevin McCarthy is shown addressing the audience during an event to award the 2023 Freedom Award to Clerk of the House Sheryl L. Johnson. (Aaron Schwartz/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“They were disrespectful to me, so I was disrespectful to them,” Rogers said of his abuse of council staff and receptionists.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Mr. Rogers is scheduled to be sentenced on January 31st.
The charge of threatening to harm a lawmaker could carry up to six years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
With the harassment conviction, he faces up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
