Top House law enforcement officer tackles surge of ‘swatting’ incidents with congressional guidance

The top law enforcement officer assigned to the House of Representatives is turning his attention to a recent uptick in “swatting” incidents against lawmakers and their family members, offering guidance on how to address such incidents when they occur.

The House sergeant-at-arms sent a letter to members and their spouses on Tuesday addressing the rise in swatting, a lawmaker confirmed to the Washington Examiner. The letter provides a list of actions members can take when such an incident occurs, such as contacting the Sergeant at Arms Police Services Division or local law enforcement officers.

“The goal of swatting is to initiate an emergency response, such as a SWAT team responding to the Member residence, creating a tense and volatile situation. The first sign of swatting is often law enforcement showing up at your house expecting an emergency, unknown to you or your family,” wrote Sergeant-at-Arms William MacFarland, according to a copy of the letter obtained by Axios. “We will continue to develop initiatives similar to the spouse security handbook issued last year to keep you informed and up to date on important security topics. As always, your safety and the safety of your family is my top priority.”

Several House lawmakers have said they have been targeted by “swatting” calls in recent weeks, which entails someone placing a call impersonating a lawmaker or someone close to them to report a false crime. The goal is to attract a large police response to the lawmaker’s private residence, which can create a “tense and volatile situation,” according to the letter.

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At least two House lawmakers reported being swatted over the weekend, including Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) and Rep. Shontel Brown (D-OH). Several others have made similar reports over the last two months, including a Christmas Day attempt against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who said she has been swatted about eight times since being elected.

Greene later said she would introduce legislation to crack down on swatting incidents, although previous efforts to do so have not had much momentum in the House.

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