A Philadelphia man has been arrested and charged for threatening to kill Republican Party Whip Eric Cantor in a video on YouTube, according to the FBI.
Norman Leboon, 33, threatened to kill congressman Cantor and his family in a YouTube video uploaded sometime in late March. In the video Leboon allegedly said: "Remember, Ericour judgment time, the final Yom Kippur has been given." The video then refers to Cantor as "Lucifer, you’re a pig you’re an abomination."
"The Department of Justice takes threats against government officials seriously, especially threats to kill or injure others," said United States Attorney Michael L. Levy.
"Whether the reason for the threat is personal or political, threats are not protected by the First Amendment and are crimes."
Cantor’s office issued this statement about the threats. "Over the weekend, Congressman Cantor was notified by law enforcement that a threat was made against his life. Law enforcement officials informed Congressman Cantor that the threat was determined as credible and they were responding accordingly. The Congressman was later notified that an arrest was made and a suspect was in custody."
"At this time, the Congressman will have no further comment on this threat or the investigation, and asks that inquiries be directed to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Congressman is deeply grateful for, and would like to dearly thank all local and federal law enforcement involved, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Attorney’s Office in Virginia and Philadelphia, U.S. Capitol Police and the Henrico Police Department in Virginia."
If convicted of all charges Leboon faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and fine of up to $500,000.