A Duluth man has found himself on the wrong side of the law after making threats against two U.S. senators and their families. According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia, Robert Davis Forney, a 25-year-old local, was indicted by a federal grand jury last Tuesday, June 10, for the serious federal crime of communicating threats across state lines.
It was last Monday, January 9, when Forney first called the Texas office of Senator Ted Cruz, leaving voicemails laden with threats of sexual violence aimed at both Senator Cruz and his family; the following day he made the same sort of menacing call to the office of Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer, targeting her with similar viciousness, undeterred, he brazenly repeated his criminal conduct against elected officials.
"Threatening our elected officials and their families is an act of violence that undermines our entire democracy," U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg pronounced, making clear that such actions will not be tolerated. "Political discourse and disagreements never justify resorting to vile attacks against our nation’s leaders," as noted by the same press release.
Forney’s indictment and subsequent arrest signal a no-tolerance stance from the Department of Justice toward any and all threats of political violence, as detailed by FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown who proclaimed, “There is no place for political violence or threats of violence in the United States. We will not hesitate to arrest and charge others who engage in similar criminal conduct.” Forney now faces a legal battle where the presumption of innocence remains his until the prosecution meets its burden of proof, ensuring not just a trial for Forney, but a test of justice under the scrutiny of due process, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The case against Forney is part of a broader initiative named Operation Take Back America, which seeks to streamline federal efforts against illegal immigration, cartels, and violent crime, putting organized resources towards protecting communities. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bret R. Hobson and Brent Alan Gray are leading the prosecution, with the FBI and the United States Capitol Police involved in the investigation.
For further details, the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office remains available for contact.
