On Friday night, Maine State Police responded to a swatting call at the residence of Maine State Secretary of State, Shenna Bellows. This incident occurred a day after Bellows, a Democrat, removed former President Donald Trump from the state’s 2024 primary ballot, citing the 14th Amendment’s “insurrectionist ban”.
The police reported that no residents were present at the Manchester home during the incident, which took place around 8:25 p.m. At Bellows’ request, officers conducted an exterior check and interior sweep of the residence, finding nothing suspicious, according to a statement released on Saturday.
Swatting is a malicious prank involving a false call to authorities, leading them to believe a crime is in progress at a specific location. This typically results in a forceful response from local police or SWAT teams, who are unaware that the call is a hoax.
Bellows’ decision to remove Trump from the ballot has been put on hold pending a ruling from Maine’s Superior Court. State law stipulates timelines for the court’s decision and potential appeals to the state Supreme Court, all of which must be resolved by the end of January.
In an interview with CNN on Friday, Bellows revealed that her office has been receiving threats since her decision. “We have received threatening communications,” she told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on “The Situation Room.” “I certainly worry about the safety of people that I love, people around me, and people charged with protecting me and working alongside me,” she added.
Bellows acknowledged the swatting incident in a Facebook post, stating that she and her husband, Brandon, were safe and not at home when the threats escalated and their home address was posted online. She condemned the swatting incident and the continuous threatening communications her colleagues have been receiving as unacceptable.
Maine State Police are currently investigating the swatting incident at Bellows’ residence, in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies. This incident is the latest in a series of swatting calls targeting elected officials, including Florida GOP Sen. Rick Scott and Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Bellows’ decision has made Maine the second state to disqualify Trump from office, following a similar ruling by the Colorado Supreme Court earlier this month. Other challenges to Trump’s candidacy are still pending in states such as Oregon, as the 2024 primary cycle approaches.
Contributor: Marshall Cohen, CNN