WASHINGTON—The U.S. Capitol Police told The Epoch Times on June 20 that it has been investigating mysterious and “troubling” pizza deliveries made to lawmakers.
“The United States Capitol Police are aware of unsolicited pizza deliveries to elected officials and U.S. Capitol Police leadership,“ the Capitol Police said in a statement. ”These recent pizza deliveries are troubling and yet again, bring to light the heightened threat landscape we are living in. Violence and threats, of any kind, targeted at elected officials will not be tolerated.”
The Capitol Police said no further details could be provided at this time to protect ongoing investigations and “minimize the risk of copycats.”
“We are working with our federal, state, and local partners to address the matter,” the Capitol Police said.
Taylor Haulsee, a spokesperson for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), said he is not aware of any deliveries being made to the lawmaker.
Threats against lawmakers have been an issue for the past several years.
State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed in the shooting. A suspect was arrested following a days-long manhunt. The other lawmaker, state Sen. John Hoffman, and his wife, Yvette, survived and are recovering in a hospital.
“It’s only the most recent example of violent political extremism in this country, and that’s a trend that’s been increasing in recent years,” the acting U.S. attorney in Minnesota, Joe Thompson, said while announcing federal charges against the suspect.
In 2021, then-Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), who became an independent in December 2022, was harassed numerous times by progressive activists outside the Capitol over her opposition to abolishing the filibuster and therefore keeping it intact in what was an evenly divided Senate with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat, being the tie-breaking vote, giving her party control of the Senate.
In 2020, the son of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas was fatally shot by a suspect who allegedly held a grudge against his mother.
“We had heard about pizzas being delivered to judges’ houses, and that says what? ‘I know where you live,’” she said.
In 2017, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La), was shot by a gunman during a baseball practice outside Washington, a day before the annual Congressional Baseball Game for charity. Capitol Police, who were on the scene because Scalise was a member of the congressional leadership, shot the suspect.
“The violence and threats against elected officials, including people in the Senate, has drastically increased,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said following a June 17 briefing with Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Jennifer Hemingway. “That means we need more protection. We need more money.”
The Capitol Police requested $967.8 million for fiscal 2026, a 22 percent increase from this fiscal year, Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) said during a budget hearing in April.
