Congressman Says Man Arrested With Manifesto in Alleged Plot to Kill Him

A man was arrested in Florida concerning an alleged plot to kill Congressman Jared Moskowitz a day before the Democrat was up for reelection.
According to a statement from Moskowitz shared on X on Friday, the U.S. representative was notified by the Margate Police Department on Monday about “a potential plot on my life” and that authorities later arrested a suspect “not far from my home.”
Moskowitz described the suspect as “a former felon who was in possession of a rifle, a suppressor, and body armor.” Police also found the suspect with a manifesto that Moskowitz said “included antisemitic rhetoric and only my name on the ‘target’ list.”
The congressman thanked local and federal law enforcement for handling the threat. He was reelected to represent Florida’s 23rd Congressional District on Tuesday, defeating Republican nominee Joe Kaufman.
Newsweek sent emails to Margate Police and the FBI for further information on Friday.
Threats against elected officials have risen in recent years and came to a head in the 2024 presidential race. President-elect Donald Trump faced two assassination attempts while campaigning for a second term, including a shooting at one of his rallies in July that left him with an injury on the tip of his right ear. The second attempt occurred at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach in September.
On Friday, the Justice Department released criminal charges against a man who officials say was employed by Iran to kill Trump before Tuesday’s election. The suspect, 51-year-old Farhad Shakeri, told law enforcement that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) tasked him back in October with “providing a plan to kill” Trump, who was elected to a second term in the White House this week.
Moskowitz acknowledged in his statement that he was appointed to the Congressional task force investigating the first assassination attempt on Trump, saying, “I understand the failures and importance of fixing the protection of our current and future Commander-in-Chief and Vice President.”
“At the same time, I am deeply worried about Congressional member security and the significant lack thereof when we are in the district,” Moskowitz added. “Regardless of our political affiliations or differences, we all have families we want to keep safe.
According to the U.S. Capitol Police, investigations into threats against Congress members rose between 2022 and 2023, with over 8,008 threat assessment cases being opened by the department last year. Federal law enforcement has also warned of the possibility of increased threats or instances of violence surrounding the 2024 election.
Update 11/08/24, 6:18 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional information and background.