WASHINGTON – The US Congressional Police has hired three attorneys to investigate threats against lawmakers and help prosecute people who threaten members of Congress, an agency spokeswoman confirmed to NBC News.
According to the USCP, the hirings are in response to an increase in the number of threats against lawmakers over the past few years.
The New York Times reported first Tuesday hiring news.
The Capitol Police in 2023 investigated 8008 hazard assessment cases. This is up from the 7,501 cases investigated in 2021, but slightly less than the 8,613 cases investigated in 2020.
The USCP confirmed that in 2023, only 27% of threats reported to federal prosecutors were prosecuted. Two of the three new prosecutors were hired last year, and one in 2024.
Two other new prosecutors are spread across the country, one in San Jose, California, and one in Tampa, Florida. All three hires will advise the Justice Department on prosecuting suspects for threatening lawmakers, but will not prosecute the cases themselves, the agency confirmed.
The USCP attributes the increased level of threats against members of Congress to people’s sense of anonymity on social media. This year, the agency expects the number of threats related to the upcoming elections to increase.
“With political conventions, member campaigns and many issues on Capitol Hill, this will be a very busy year for our special agents,” said USCP Assistant Chief of Enforcement and Intelligence Operations Ashan M. Benedict. January when the 2023 threat assessment numbers were first released.