Beto O’Rourke Received Threats From Cesar Sayoc As Far Back As April
It has been learned that congressman out of Texas Beto O’Rourke was among the dozen-plus lawmakers detested and targeted by suspected mail bomber Cesar Sayoc, according to a complaint that had been filed with the FBI months prior to last week’s near-catastrophic developments.
On Wednesday, October 31, the Dallas Morning News reported that O’Rourke’s campaign alerted authorities early in the summer about troubling messages the senatorial candidate had received from Sayoc on social media as early as the springtime. “We received a threat via Facebook from that individual in April, a threat toward Beto, and we immediately reported it to the [U.S.] Capitol police,” the O’Rourke campaign’s communications director, Chris Evans, told the press. “Then we turned over the message and the information and the threat to the FBI in July.”
According to the report, those threats seemed indicative of Sayoc’s intention to confront O’Rourke with violence — and in a worst case scenario, to assassinate the 46-year-old Democrat. Included in his communications were photographs of O’Rourke’s family, with one particular message reportedly reading, “Hug your loved ones everytime [sic] you leave home. See you soon.”
Since Sayoc’s dramatic arrest and the seizure of the propaganda-hoarding van that he was living out of, investigators have established that the 14 locations he managed to get suspicious packages to were originally recorded on a list of intended recipients he was keeping. Each individual noted on the list is said to have been either a government official or news entity known for expressing critical views about President Donald Trump.
Breaking: Cesar Sayoc, the Florida man who allegedly sent pipe bombs to President @realDonaldTrump's critics also threatened Texas Congressman @BetoORourke https://t.co/07NBKSbTmH
— Dallas Morning News (@dallasnews) October 31, 2018
Neither the FBI nor O’Rourke reps have so far disclosed whether or not they know of the congressman’s name having been present on the list. What indeed is known, however, is that the feds for one reason or another were prompted to utilize dogs and special agents to search through mail at the campaign’s El Paso office less than 24 hours before Sayoc’s October 25 capture, according to the news.
The inspection was one that was eventually conducted at properties associated with a number of targeted officials ranging from ex-Attorney General Eric Holder and California Rep. Maxine Waters to former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. As was the case with CNN, which received three packages at locations in New York and Georgia, there were also targets that were addressed more than once.
According to the Washington Examiner, Sayoc is sitting on numerous charges he was handed down by a federal judge this past Friday. In addition to various others, he is facing counts for interstate transportation of an explosive, illegal mailing of explosives, and threatening former presidents.
