Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., received death threats on voicemails from April 2023, according to federal prosecutors.
The caller reportedly promised a “horrendous death” for “every single one of your [expletive] family members.”
Now, as of Wednesday, a Montana man has been sentenced to 2.5 years in federal prison for threatening to injure and kill a public official. The defendant, a 30-year-old resident of Billings, pleaded guilty in January.
Federal prosecutors announced the 30-month sentence in a statement. They credited the FBI and the Secret Service with helping them to build their case.
Around the time of the voicemails, the FBI reportedly received a tip about threatening comments left on YouTube videos. “We are actively hunting down and killing any trans in our major cities,” the commenter said.
The same man admitted to sending both the voicemails and the YouTube comments, according to investigators’ interview.
He also faced charges for making YouTube comments threatening to kill President Joe Biden, but U.S. District Court Judge Susan Watters dismissed that charge as part of a plea deal.
The senator has remained quiet on the threats, and he’s repeatedly declined the media’s request for comment about them. The defense has also remained quiet, as it usually does in criminal cases.
Another Montana man, a 46-year-old from Kalispell, also received a 2.5-year sentence for leaving voicemails with threats to kill Tester. He was sentenced in August.
Tester is running for re-election this year. Given Montana’s conservative leanings, he’s considered one of the most vulnerable Democrats in the U.S. Senate.