Indiana prosecutors charged a man for intimidation and harassment of Rep. Jim Banks (R., Ind.) and his family.
Aaron L. Thompson, 34, allegedly called Banks’s office eight times in early April and left several threatening messages, according to a probable cause filing obtained by the Indiana Capital Chronicle.
"Here’s the choice. Your daughters grow up without their dad or you grow old without your daughters," the Fort Wayne man said. "Boom, boom you pick."
Thompson told Banks he owned a gun and said he hoped Banks would die in a car accident or have "his brains blown-out."
In an interview with U.S. Capitol Police, Thompson admitted to being intoxicated and said he left the messages due to disagreement with Banks’s political views.
He was arrested Friday and scheduled for an initial hearing on Tuesday at Allen County Superior Court. In Indiana, intimidation is a felony and harassment is a misdemeanor. If convicted, Thompson could face up to two and half years in prison.
Banks, who has served in Congress since 2017, announced in January his bid for Senate, shortly after Sen. Mike Braun (R., Ind.) launched his run for governor.