BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The local GOP in the critical Philadelphia suburbs received a menacing bomb threat just 10 days out from Election Day.
The Pennsylvania state party confirmed the Montgomery County Republican Committee‘s headquarters got a threatening voicemail at 11:07 a.m. Saturday.
“Montgomery County GOP received a bomb threat this morning, adding to increasing violence against GOP Candidates, offices, and staff,” it said. “We will stay focused. Will NOT be deterred.”
An attached statement describes the voicemail as an “angry, profanity-laced bomb threat” that follows a trend of threatening messages sent to Republican groups in Erie and Delaware counties in the last two months.
A text sent to an Erie County Republican staffer last month began with an inquiry into being a poll watcher but escalated to the unknown person sending threatening messages in all caps promising, “I will KILL YOU IF YOU DON’T ANSWER ME!”
A subsequent message said, “Your days are numbered, B–TCH!” and another threatened to skin the recipient alive.
The Pennsylvania GOP’s statement listed off a number of other recent threats, like protesters forcibly entering the Delaware County Republican headquarters and threatening to kill staff earlier this month, and an anonymous letter sent around to multiple GOP-connected individuals that threatened: “Should your candidates win… we know where you live, you are in the database.”
This bomb scare isn’t the first time the Montgomery County GOP has been subject to anonymous threats.
In August, party official Matthew McCaffery’s house was swatted after he appeared on CNN to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris.
McCaffery said he broke with his party because he believes former President Donald Trump is a threat to democracy and has disparaged veterans.
Meanwhile, another agitator in central Pennsylvania faces legal action over alleged terror threats against the former president.
State College resident Paul J. Gavenonis, 74, was charged with making terroristic threats and disorderly conduct last Friday after allegedly saying he wanted to shoot Trump at his rally on the campus of Penn State University.
