New York man pleads guilty to threatening to kill Rep. Omar
Rep. IIhan Omar, D-Minn., at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Oct. 24, 2019. (AP/Pool)
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - A western New York man has pleaded guilty to threatening to kill U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.
Patrick Carlineo entered the plea Monday in Rochester to charges that carry up to 10 years in prison. His sentencing is set for February.
Omar, a Democrat, is among the first Muslim women in Congress.
Carlineo, 55, called her office March 21, told a staffer the congresswoman was a “terrorist” and threatened to shoot her, prosecutors said.
His lawyer, Sonya Zoghlin, said Carlineo is passionate about his beliefs and has taken responsibility for using threatening language to express them. Zoghlin said Carlineo never intended to harm Omar.
U.S. Attorney James Kennedy Jr. said the case highlights that free speech rights carry responsibilities not to threaten lawmakers because of disagreements with them.