Tennessee Man Sentenced to 13 Months for Making Threatening Calls to Eric Cantor

RICHMOND, VA—Glendon Swift, 63, of Lenoir City, Tennessee, was sentenced today to 13 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for making threats against Representative Eric Cantor, R-Virginia, and his family.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Michael F. A. Morehart, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing.

Swift pled guilty on December 20, 2011, in the Eastern District of Tennessee to threatening a family member of a federal official. The defense and government jointly recommended in the plea agreement a prison sentence of 13 months.

According to court documents, an unknown male left two voicemail messages with Rep. Cantor’s Glen Allen, Virginia office the evening of October 27, 2011. The screaming, profanity-laden messages stated that the caller was going to destroy Rep. Cantor, rape his daughter, and kill his wife. A Congressional staff member retrieved the messages and alerted the U.S. Capitol Police, which sought the assistance of the FBI to identify and locate the individual who made the calls.

Swift was identified as the individual who subscribed to the phone number used to make the call. He was arrested without incident on November 2, 2011 by the FBI in Knoxville and the Lenoir City Police Department after having been interviewed by law enforcement.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Richmond and Knoxville Field Offices, the U.S. Capitol Police, and the Lenoir City Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Jamie L. Mickelson from the Eastern District of Virginia and Cynthia Davidson from the Eastern District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

Tennessee Man Arrested for Alleged Threatening Calls to Virginia Congressman

ALEXANDRIA, VA—Glendon Swift, 62, of Lenoir City, Tenn., was arrested late yesterday for allegedly making threats against the family of Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va.

 

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Michael F. A. Morehart, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement.

 

“Threatening to harm the family of a public official is a very serious charge, and we are grateful to the FBI and their law enforcement partners for their quick action in this case, “said U.S. Attorney MacBride.

 

Swift was charged by criminal complaint of threatening to assault or murder a member of the immediate family of a United States official. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. He made an initial appearance before the Honorable C. Clifford Shirley, Jr., United States Magistrate Judge, in Knoxville, Tenn., this afternoon.

 

According to court documents, an unknown male left two voicemail messages with Rep. Cantor’s Glen Allen, Va., office the evening of Oct. 27, 2011. The screaming, profanity-laden messages allegedly stated that the caller was going to destroy Rep. Cantor, rape his daughter, and kill his wife. A Congressional staff member retrieved the messages and alerted the U.S. Capitol Police, which sought the assistance of the FBI to identify and locate the individual who made the calls.

 

Swift was identified as the individual who subscribed to the phone number used to make the call. He was arrested without incident on November 2, 2011 by the FBI in Knoxville and the Lenoir City Police Department after having been interviewed by law enforcement, and allegedly admitted to making the threatening phone calls to Rep. Cantor’s office.

 

The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Richmond and Knoxville Field Offices, the U.S. Capitol Police, and the Lenoir City Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jamie L. Mickelson is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

 

Criminal complaints are only charges and not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.

 

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

Behind the Scenes: Photos from the Debt Negotiations

After a long and heated debate, President Barack Obama signed into law a compromise that will reduce the deficit and avert a default on our obligations that would have devastated our economy.

Official White House photographer Pete Souza chronicled the process over the last month, snapping photos at various stages of the negotiations. Yesterday, we released a set of his behind the scenes photos.

President Barack Obama meets with Speaker of the House John Boehner on the patio near the Oval Office, Sunday, July 3, 2011.

President Barack Obama talks with members of his staff in the Oval Office following a meeting with the Congressional leadership, July 7, 2011. Pictured with the President, from left, are: Chief of Staff Bill Daley; Rob Nabors, Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs; Bruce Reed, Chief of Staff to the Vice President; National Economic Council Director Gene Sperling; Jason Furman, Principal Deputy Director of the National Economic Council; Office of Management and Budget Director Jack Lew; Senior Advisor David Plouffe; and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

President Barack Obama meets with Congressional Leadership in the Cabinet Room of the White House to discuss ongoing efforts to find a balanced approach to the debt limit and deficit reduction, July 13, 2011. Pictured, from left, are: House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, House Speaker John Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden meet with House Speaker John Boehner and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in the Oval Office to discuss ongoing efforts to find a balanced approach to the debt limit and deficit reduction, July 20, 2011.

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden meet with Congressional leaders in the Cabinet Room of the White House to discuss ongoing efforts to find a balanced approach to the debt limit and deficit reduction, Saturday, July 23, 2011. Pictured, from left, are: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, OMB Director Jack Lew, Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, and House Speaker John Boehner.

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are briefed by Rob Nabors, Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs, during a meeting in Chief of Staff Bill Daley's West Wing office at the White House to discuss ongoing efforts to find a balanced approach to the debt limit and deficit reduction, Saturday, July 30, 2011.

President Barack Obama signs the Budget Control Act of 2011 in the Oval Office, Aug. 2, 2011.

Weekly Update from Rep. Denham

Dear Friend,

 

It was an early morning on Wednesday but I hope that you were able to catch my interview about my resolution encouraging benefits for our troops on Fox & Friends.  The resolution expresses the will of Congress encouraging airlines to do the right thing and not charge our service members being deployed or returning home from service for their baggage. The resolution has over 37 bipartisan co-sponsors and is the least we can do for the men and women protecting our freedoms every day.  After the interview I posted the video on my Facebook page. Watch here. 

 

It is important for all of us to keep the troops overseas and their families in our thoughts and prayers. We owe it to them to outline a clearly defined mission and strategy for their involvement as well as what their exit strategy will be.  As a small gesture, I dropped off sunflower seeds & beef jerky for the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs care packages we sent to our service members in Afghanistan today.  These might seem like odd gifts but when I was deployed I looked forward to getting both because they reminded me of home. I will continue to keep our troops in my thoughts as we head towards the Fourth of July holiday. 

 

As you probably heard, the debt limit negotiations were stalled this week. The negotiations could not continue until there is an agreement on taxes. Leader Cantor made it very clear this week that tax increases cannot pass the House, and raising taxes is exactly the wrong move in this tough economic climate. We are all going to need to work together to turn our economy around in a fiscally responsible way that will protect the future for our kids and grandkids. 

 

With double-digit unemployment rates and consistently high gas prices in our district, now is not the time to sit back and watch. We must act.  I believe that the House Republican plan for jobs is the right start to driving small business growth and turning our economy around. 

 

As part of the American Energy Initiative, this week the House approved H.R. 2021, the Jobs and Energy Permitting Act of 2011, by a vote of 253-166.  The legislation would eliminate needless permitting delays that have stalled important energy production opportunities off the coast of Alaska.   This, coupled with the three energy bills I co-sponsored and that passed the House, is projected to create over 1.2 million American jobs.  Developing our natural resources is critical to our local economic development. We must harness the natural resources we have, timber and water, in order to put people back to work. Double-digit unemployment is unacceptable. 

 

As Chairman of the Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management Subcommittee, I announced that I'll be holding a follow up hearing to ensure that there are consequences for the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) mismanagement of its independent leasing authority.   After the first hearing I was left with no answers and to be honest, was at a loss for words at the lack of answers I received from the witnesses.  There must be accountability and consequences for this type of cavalier spending of taxpayer money. Read more about the hearing on my Facebook page. 

 

I wanted to give a special shout out to the teachers from Stanislaus County who met with me on the Capitol steps this week. And thank you to Noreen Mansuri for coming to my office and telling me about her visit to D.C. with the Congressional Youth Leadership Council. I posted photos on my Facebook page. It was a pleasure meeting all of you and I hope you enjoyed your time in the Capitol! 

 

Thank you also to everyone who came to the mobile office hours this week in Mariposa, Oakhurst and Oakdale. My staff is always eager to answer any questions that you may have. We have many more lined up throughout the summer, be sure to check out the information on the events page on my website. http://denham.house.gov/events 

 

I encourage all of you to visit my official facebook page, "Representative Jeff Denham." If you "like" the page you will be alerted to photos, videos and updates throughout my weeks in the district and back here in D.C. 

 

I'll be in the district next week and I hope to see you around. 

Sincerely,

JEFF DENHAM

United States Representative

The Democrat Becomes Republican, Part 1

By Zach Foster

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor recently criticized the President for what eh referred to as “quid pro quo” solicitations from Washington to big business.  The President, during a speech, asked big businesses to invest two billion dollars in creating jobs in America, further reducing unemployment.  The President cited his administration’s willingness to cut corporate taxes for companies creating a significant amount of jobs.  Cantor and several other Republican leaders are somehow aghast at this, and are criticizing the President for “quid pro quo.”  This may sound strange in a world where normality is no longer the standard, but isn’t this how it is supposed to be?

Many Republican administrations have happily reduced corporate taxes in order to encourage job creation.  The President is carrying on this tradition, knowing that lower taxes increase revenue in the private sector.  Many Democrats are also unhappy about this, but that is to be expected, since cutting corporate taxes goes against their longstanding tradition of raising taxes.  What the President is proposing for American businesses and job growth is to be commended.  What this encompasses is the sensible maneuver of steering job creation and economic growth closer to the private sector and further away from government funding.

Walter E. Williams, distinguished Professor of Economics at George Mason University and syndicated columnist, explains how tax cuts on big business benefits the middle class.  “If a tax is levied on a corporation, and if it is to survive, it will have one of three responses, or some combination thereof. One response is to raise the price of its product, so who bears the burden? Another response is to lower dividends; again, who bears the burden? Yet another response is to lay off workers. In each case, it is people, not some legal fiction called a corporation, who bear the burden of the tax.”  What this also means is that when big businesses are taxed less, profits are higher and more disposable, therefore jobs are created, prices don’t rise, and wealth is spread more liberally and plentifully than it would be in Marxism.  The President is actually supporting a traditionally Republican economic stance!

If jobs are being created at home, why shouldn’t these businesses get reduced taxes?  After all, so many corporations that enjoy reduced taxes continue to lay off hardworking Americans simply for the sake of cutting down costs (making a buck) by outsourcing jobs to third world countries where products can be made and the labor is only a miniscule fraction of what it would have cost at home.  This is called corporate greed.  However, the businesses that “invest in America,” as the President referred to them, should get tax breaks for hiring many hardworking Americans whose paychecks will allow them to buy products and stimulate their local economies—a little more prosperity rippling across America.

Next: Bi-partisanship, open dialogues, and Afghanistan

LP Monday Message: It's time to "YouCut" body scanners

Dear Friend of Liberty,

We've heard Republican members of Congress repeatedly claim that they are going to cut federal spending. Yeah, right.

I want to suggest a way you can help hold them accountable. The new House majority leader, Eric Cantor, has created a website called "YouCut" where people can suggest ways to cut spending.

Well, here's something the Republicans can cut: the billions of dollars they're spending on TSA strip-search body scanners at airports. I encourage you to go to the YouCut page and make that suggestion.

I just went there and typed "Cut the TSA airport body scanners which waste my money and violate my rights."

I realize there was recently an attack outside the passenger area of a Russian airport. Libertarians abhor this type of violence and aggression. It's worth noting that TSA body scanners would not have prevented an attack like that. It's important, even in times of crisis, that we voice our principles.

Do you think the Republicans will admit that lots of libertarians asked them to cut the TSA strip-search scanners? Let's find out.

Sincerely,

Wes Benedict

Executive Director

Libertarian National Committee

P.S. If you have not already done so, please join the Libertarian Party. We are the only political party dedicated to free markets, civil liberties, and peace. You can also renew your membership. Or, you can make a contribution separate from membership.

He’s An American Citizen!

By Zach Foster

The author of this article did not vote for Barack Obama in 2008.  Nonetheless, the author is aware that Obama won the election fair and square and has been the President for two years.  Yet the question of his citizenship persists in the minds of his political opponents and their followers.  One can honestly conclude that had Barack Obama lost the election, all questions of his citizenship would have faded into oblivion.  Conservatives would have been delighted to have Sarah Palin as Vice President, and possibly as President in 2016.  After all this imagining, the fact still remains that Barack Obama is the President.  Furthermore, John McCain does not plan to run again, and Sarah Palin respectfully declined her supporters’ offers to turn her into a Presidential candidate in her own right.

So why are people still screaming and gnashing their teeth over the question of Barack Obama’s citizenship?  His political opponents seem hell-bent on proving that he is a citizen of Kenya, that he was NOT born in the United States, that he is the prince of darkness, etc.  Perhaps, in the minds of many, if they can generate enough doubt about his citizenship or somehow prove that he isn’t an American citizen, then his Presidency will be null and void and Barack will be booted back to Chicago, Hawaii, or even Kenya.  Regardless of their sentiments, they need to take certain things into consideration.

A report from Snopes confirmed his Certificate of Live Birth from Honolulu County as legitimate.  Barack Hussein Obama II, the President, was born to Ann Dunham and Barack Obama I on the island of Oahu.  The last time the author checked, Hawaii is a United State.  Let’s pretend for a moment that perhaps the certificate is a forgery and the President really was born in Kenya.  By the legal clause of jus sanguinis (right by blood), a child born to at least one American citizen also qualifies as natural-born.  Though Barack I was a Kenyan tribal prince, Ann Dunham was a U.S. citizen.

Representative Eric Cantor, the Republican House Majority leader, stated that he is confident the President is a U.S. citizen and the question of his citizenship needs to be dismissed because it distracts Americans from focusing on the issues.  On the eve of the State of the Union address, this is more true than ever.  The author of this article completely agrees with Representative Cantor.  It is understandable that Americans would disagree with or even distrust the President.  However, let us neither measure him nor judge him by our prejudices and preconceived notions, but rather by his performance and the mistakes he makes in office.

This does beg the question, though: if Obama’s presidency does somehow become null and void, would conservatives feel any more secure with Joe Biden as President?