WASHINGTON — A Georgia man was arrested on charges of threatening to kill Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia confirmed to NBC News on Friday.
Sean Patrick Cirillo, of Macon, has been charged with using his phone to threaten Greene, R-Ga., and her staff.
The news was first reported by CNN.
According to senior law enforcement sources, Cirillo allegedly called Greene’s office twice on Wednesday, threatening to kill her.
Cirillo was arrested by the FBI and is behind bars, pending his first appearance in federal court on Monday.
In a recording of a call shared by Greene’s office with NBC News, the caller said, “You don’t think it’s going to happen when you are out of power?” and “You don’t think you are going to get payback?”
Greene thanked law enforcement in a statement on Friday, saying they “acted swiftly in response to this murderous threat.”
“From Rome City Police, the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Capitol Police, the House Sergeant at Arms, and ultimately the FBI who made the arrest, every official acted quickly to put this man behind bars,” Greene said.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., in the U.S. Capitol on Oct. 19. Tom Williams / Getty Images
“Threats to murder elected officials should never be tolerated,” no matter their political affiliation, she said. “I’m not the only victim with this threat of violence. My family is threatened. My staff is threatened. I even had to close my district office due to the potential of violence. It’s wrong and never should happen.”
Greene added: “Threats of violence must be taken seriously. And that’s exactly why I take my Second Amendment rights seriously.”
It was not immediately clear what prompted the alleged threats targeting her and members of her family.
The conservative congresswoman has recently been in the news because of her censure resolutions against Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and for filing articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
