Rep. Gallagher Cites Swatting As a Reason for His Resignation, Leaving House GOP With 1 Seat Majority

Republican Congressman Mike Gallagher (R-WI) initially set Friday as his last day in Congress, though he may stay through Saturday to vote on major legislation. In either case, he will be leaving in short order before his term expires. This week, Rep. Gallagher specifically mentioned the impacts of death threats and swatting incidents on his family members as contributing factors for his early departure.

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On Tuesday, he s poke with NBC affiliate WLUK, saying:

This is more just me wanting to prioritize being with my family ... I signed up for the death threats and the late-night swatting, but they did not. And for a young family, I would say this job is really hard.

Gallagher, 40, is a Marine veteran who served two tours in Iraq. He is married with two young daughters and has represented Wisconsin's eighth district since 2017. When he announced his decision to step down and vacate his seat last month, he cited conversations with his family, writing in a statement:

After conversations with my family, I have made the decision to resign my position as a member of the House of Representatives for Wisconsin’s Eighth Congressional District effective April 19, 2024.
I’ve worked closely with House Republican leadership on this timeline and look forward to seeing Speaker Johnson appoint a new chair to carry out the important mission of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.
My office will continue to operate and provide constituent services to the Eighth District for the remainder of the term.
Four terms serving Northeast Wisconsin in Congress has been the honor of a lifetime and strengthened my conviction that America is the greatest country in the history of the world. I will forever be proud of the work I did on the Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, chairing the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, and chairing the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. It has truly been an honor to serve in the House of Representatives.

Reports indicate that Gallagher may have experienced a swatting incident last year. Swatting is a term used to describe a false report made to law enforcement that prompts an armed response at the location, generally the residence, of the targeted individual.

WLUK confirmed that the Brown County Sheriff's Office, responsible for Allouez, where Gallagher resides, assigned a case number to a swatting incident involving the congressman late last year. The sheriff's office contacted the U.S. Capitol Police regarding the incident and transferred the investigation to federal authorities in January. The investigation includes the Capitol Police, FBI, and the U.S. Secret Service. An FBI spokeswoman in Milwaukee informed WLUK that Capitol Police is spearheading the investigation into the swatting incident.

In a statement to WLUK, Capitol Police said:

Anytime a Member of Congress is the victim of a 'swatting' incident, we work closely with our local and federal law enforcement partners. To protect the ongoing investigations and to minimize the risk of copy-cats, we cannot provide more details at this time.

In January, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) and Rep. Shontel Brown (D-OH) reported incidents where police were dispatched to their homes as apparent hoaxes. House Sergeant at Arms William McFarland addressed congressional spouses in a letter obtained by Axios, stating that there has been a rise in swatting incidents targeting members' personal residences and offering guidance on how to better prepare and handle these scenarios.

Gallagher is one of three Republican committee chairs in the House resigning this year. His departure will leave House Republicans with a single-seat majority.

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