Speaking in a major announcement about the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) ongoing work to crack down on political terrorism and violence of the sort seen when Charlie Kirk was assassinated in cold blood during a speech at Utah Valley University, Attorney General Pam Bondi revealed that a man had been caught mailing death threats to conservative personality and reporter Benny Johnson, and has been jailed.
Such is what AG Bondi announced during a press conference in Tampa, Florida, on Friday, October 10, noting that the man who sent a letter filled with death threats to Benny in the days after the Charlie Kirk assassination, targeting the conservative reporter and podcaster for his political beliefs.
Describing what happened during the press conference, Bondi explained that Benny had received the death threat in a letter sent to his home, saying, “Just days after Charlie’s assassination, Benny received a letter at his home where he and Kate are raising their beautiful, beautiful young family. The author of this letter made it very clear that he hated Benny because of his views, and he wanted Benny dead.”
Continuing, Bondi explained that the threatener had apparently thought that hiding behind writing the letter would let him get away with it, but the DOJ will not let that happen in this case or any others. She said, “This was a coward hiding behind a keyboard who thought he could get away with this. That’s why we’re standing up here today. You are not going to get away with threatening people in this way.”
Concluding, AG Bondi named and shamed the suspect, noting that he has been arrested and faces serious federal charges over the matter. She said, “I’m proud to announce that we have arrested the author of this letter, George Isbell Jr, was taken into custody this morning, and we are charging him federally with mailing threatening communications. It is a crime, and if convicted, he is going to prison.”
Bondi has also said, speaking about the case, that the DOJ will not allow political threats and violence to continue to roil the nation, and that she hopes this incident serves as a warning to any who would attempt such crimes. She said, “We cannot allow this political violence to continue any longer. This arrest will serve as a reminder to many: Do not do this. We will find you.”
Watch her here:
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FBI Director Kash Patel, for his part, said much the same thing in a DOJ press release. He noted that the FBI is similarly intolerant of threats of political violence, saying, “The FBI and our partners will not tolerate threats of violence like the kind allegedly made by the defendant about a media personality.”
Continuing, Director Patel noted that all such cases of this abominable behavior will be fully investigated and the perpetrators will be held to account, saying, “We will continue to investigate, pursue, and find those responsible for this conduct and ensure such criminals are held to full account in our justice system.”
Benny, for his part, said, in a post on X, “An individual has been arrested for threatening to kill my wife, my four children, and me. He sent a letter to my home saying he hated our views and wanted us dead. He is being charged federally and faces prison time. I want to thank President Trump, AG Pam Bondi, and the Department of Justice for immediately acting and saving my family. We are forever grateful.”
Continuing, he called out leftist violence and why it cannot be tolerated or backed down to, saying, “Left-wing violence is exploding with copycats appearing everywhere. It is the greatest threat to our country today, targeting people for simply speaking the truth. Let me be absolutely clear: We will not be silenced. We will not back down. We will not break. You lit a fire that cannot be put out.”
Concluding, Benny commented on Charlie’s legacy and again thanked the authorities for taking the threats seriously, saying, “Charlie Kirk taught us to go on offense. That is exactly what we will do. We will work harder, speak louder, and grow stronger. We will continue to move TPUSA’s mission forward. For Charlie. Thank you for your strong leadership @POTUS, @AGPamBondi, and @TheJusticeDept.”
Watch him speak during the press event here:
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video