Accused Pelosi attacker David DePape spread QAnon, other far-right, bigoted conspiracies on Facebook on May 9, 2019.
After what began as a small dispute over a parking space turned violent over the weekend, a congressional staffer is now facing a federal crime in the process.
In a Friday press release, the FBI and its Washington Field Office announced the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia was seeking a indictment against David DePape, chief of staff for Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) “for assault resulting in serious bodily injury, use of a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession of an unregistered firearm.”
The press release didn’t make clear whether police also investigated a more recent incident involving a man threatening to kill his congresswoman with a sword and rifle. According to multiple reports, the alleged assailant, identified as J.T. Morgan, a private investigator, posted a threat on social media last June 25 to attack Lofgren.
The FBI’s own report indicates that they interviewed Morgan and “searched his phone and found his location using GPS capabilities and other sources.”
This week, Morgan was arrested and charged with using a firearm in relation to a crime of violence – a violent threat – which can be a felony if the defendant threatens to use or carries a weapon in a violent manner likely to cause death or serious bodily injury. Police report they located, arrested, and searched Morgan’s home and seized “a loaded semi-automatic assault rifle, an AR-15, a pistol, and a hunting knife.” Morgan and his attorney could not be reached for comment.
Lofgren told The Washington Post, “I’m shocked. There’s no doubt that he [Morgan] is a dangerous person. The FBI has taken it seriously and we will support them.”
On May 1, Lofgren’s district office received a phone call from someone claiming to be Morgan. He said he had a gun and was planning to attack Lofgren, but police were not able to locate him and he left.
Less than a week later, on May 8, Lofgren said Morgan and others showed up to her office on foot and attacked her and her staffer. “He ran into the office and began shouting at me, swearing at me,�