Illinois Man Investigated for Threats Against Wilson
Post on Facebook shows congresswoman with caption ‘Need ten good men to help carry out a lynching.’
A Chicago-area man is being investigated for threatening to lynch Florida Rep. Frederica Wilson after she became the focal point in a battle between the White House and a Gold Star family.
Tom Keevers of suburban Des Plaines is claiming that an anonymous “meme-maker” put words in his mouth, the Chicago Tribune reported. One of his Facebook posts showed an image of Wilson with the caption “Need ten good men to help carry out a lynching. Must have own horse and saddle. Rope will be provided.”
Another calls the Florida Democrat “a disgusting pig,” and says “someone should take their boot to her face.”
During a phone interview with Chicago Inc., Keevers said he was having a “fast and furious” conversation about Wilson “using the death of an American soldier for politics.”
Wilson has been in a war of words with the White House after she listened in on a call from President Donald Trump to Myeshia Johnson, the widow of Army Sgt. La David Johnson, who was killed in Niger.
Wilson told news outlets that when Trump called, he told Johnson that her husband “knew what he signed up for.” Myeshia Johnson backed up Wilson’s account of the call.
White House Chief of Staff John Kelly criticized Wilson last week after Trump criticized her on Twitter, saying she “totally fabricated” the words.
Keevers said it was possible that someone had taken his words and “made them into a meme.”
“I did not use those words,” he said.
Keevers initially said he had not talked to police about the incident, but after being told by a reporter that Des Plaines police confirmed they were investigating, he said police told him there was “nothing for me to worry about.”
“People threaten Donald Trump all the time and nothing happens,” he said. “I don’t think a lot about what I write on Facebook.”