Man Arrested for Threatening to Kill Marjorie Taylor Greene: Prosecutors

A Maryland man, Seth Jason, was arrested Thursday on federal charges for allegedly making death threats against Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and her family.

Who is Seth Jason and What Was He Charged With?

A federal grand jury indicted Jason on multiple charges, including influencing a federal official by threat, influencing a federal official by threatening a family member, interstate communications with a threat to kidnap or injure, and anonymous telecommunications harassment.

Acting U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, speaking at a news conference, emphasized the real-world impact of such threats: "No one should have to live their life looking over their shoulder every day and wondering if those threats are about to be fulfilled and about to come true."

Pirro also read from Jason's alleged messages, including one that said: "I am looking forward to your book signing. We are all armed and ready to take care of you."

Jason, a resident of Edgewater, Maryland, also served as a volunteer reserve officer for the Anne Arundel County Police Department. In a statement, the department clarified:

"Anne Arundel County Reserve Officers are unarmed and have no police authority. Mr. Jason is no longer affiliated with the Anne Arundel County Police Department."

Jason had volunteered there since 2016. A lawyer for him was not immediately listed in court records. He was expected to make his initial court appearance in Washington on Thursday.

Marjorie Taylor Greene and Family Allegedly Threatened: What We Know

US Capitol Police (USCP) told Newsweek officers arrested Jason, 64, on July 17 for influencing a federal official by threatening a family member, influencing a federal official by threat, interstate communications with a threat to kidnap or injure, and anonymous telecommunications harassment.

According to a four-count indictment, Jason repeatedly called Greene's Georgia district offices between October 2023 and January 2025, threatening to assault and kill her, as well as her family and staff.

Jason was also accused of threatening Greene's staff members and their families, using phone lines connected to studios and control rooms at Voice of America headquarters in Washington, where he was employed, according to U.S. Capitol Police.

A USCP spokesperson told Newsweek that the arrest was the result of a "joint effort and the USCP would like to thank our local and federal partners for their assistance.

In a statement provided to Newsweek, USCP Chief Michael G. Sullivan said: "The women and men of the USCP worked relentlessly to get a resolution in this case. I am proud of the work our Department does in bringing offenders to justice when any Member of Congress, their families, or staff are threatened. Political violence must stop, and we will continue to have a zero-tolerance stance."

Taylor Greene said in a statement posted to X, "For 15 months, I received terrifying death threats from one individual who worked alarmingly close to my office building at the Voice of America. That kind of sustained, targeted harassment is deeply disturbing. I truly feared for my life, as I do with all of the death threats I receive. I want to thank U.S. Attorney @JudgeJeanine, Senior Advisor @KariLake, the Capitol Police, and the prosecutors who took this threat seriously and acted decisively to stop someone who was planning to kill me. Threatening an elected official, their family, or their staff is not free speech. It's a crime, and it must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. My family and I are incredibly grateful. Justice must be served."

Newsweek has reached out to Greene's office, along with Voice of America, via email on Thursday afternoon for comment.

Sullivan in a separate, earlier statement referenced a recent tragedy in Minnesota where a state Democratic leader and her husband were killed, and two others were wounded in a politically motivated shooting.

"This has changed since Minnesota," Sullivan said. "We are going to work very, very hard to hold you accountable if you make these threats."

What is Voice of America?

Voice of America (VOA) is an international broadcaster funded by the U.S. government and overseen by the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM). Founded in 1942, its core mission is to deliver accurate, objective, and comprehensive news in over 40 languages to audiences living without free press.

Kari Lake, the Trump administration's special advisor to the USAGM, said on X, "A Voice of America Employee has been Indicted for Threatening Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene using phones at the VOA studios to threaten Greene and her staff.
The phone calls came from inside the VOA studios and control room where threats were made to the district offices of Congresswoman Greene over a 15-month-period. The indictment says the VOA employee threatened to kidnap and use firearms to kill Greene, her staff and their families. The calls started in Oct. 2023 with the last call coming the day after President Trump was inaugurated. VOA employee, Seth Jason, was arrested early this morning. He will face a judge this afternoon. If convicted he could face nearly 20 years in prison."

Under Trump's second administration, VOA faced a sweeping executive order on March 14, 2025, that slashed its budget, placed nearly all of its 1,300 employees on administrative leave, and temporarily halted most programming until it was reduced to statutory minimum operations last month, leaving around 200 staffers.

President Trump defended the cuts as a cost-saving and anti-bias measure, asserting that USAGM was "dysfunctional" and needed to be "to the minimum extent consistent with applicable law," while critics warned that the defunding "silenced" a key U.S. soft-power voice abroad.

In May, VOA said it will partner with and receive new feed services from right-wing media outlet One America News (OAN) Network.

This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.

Update: 7/18/25, 11:15 a.m. ET: This article was updated with new information.

Update: 7/17/25, 5 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information.

Update: 7/17/25, 6:50 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.