Montana Man Convicted of Threatening McCarthy

Richard Lee Rogers, a 45-year-old man from Montana, was convicted of threatening to assault former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy during over 100 harassing phone calls made on February 3, 2023. This incident followed the Pentagon's acknowledgment of a Chinese spy balloon, which Rogers was upset about not being shot down. The jury found him guilty of threatening a member of Congress and making multiple harassing calls, including 150 to an FBI tip line between 2021 and 2022. Rogers' defense claimed his vulgar comments constituted protected free speech, but prosecutors argued he crossed the line with threats and abusive language. He faces a maximum of six years in prison and is scheduled for sentencing on January 31, 2025. This case highlights the troubling rise in threats against public officials, with over 8,000 such threats investigated by U.S. Capitol Police in 2023.