U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) speaks during a press conference held to announce the latest actions to bring high-speed rail to Nevada at the Clark County Building Department of Environment & Sustainability Friday, Aug. 18, 2023.
Published Monday, Oct. 30, 2023 | 1:49 p.m.
Updated Monday, Oct. 30, 2023 | 2:18 p.m.
A Las Vegas man who threatened to “assault, kidnap or murder” a U.S. senator faces a criminal charge in federal court, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Nevada said Monday.
None of the court documents made available Monday identified the target of the threats, but a source close to U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., confirmed they were aimed at her.
John Anthony Miller, 43, made numerous threatening calls and left voicemails from Oct. 11 to 19 with a senator’s office, including one message that said, “We’re going to finish what Hitler started,” according to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas.
The news was first reported by the Daily Beast online publication, which posted a copy of the complaint.
Miller left numerous profanity-laced and antisemitic messages, presumably because of Rosen’s support of Israel in its war with Hamas in Gaza. Rosen, D-Nev., who is the lone Jewish woman serving in the Senate, has been outspoken in her support for aid to Israel after the bloody Hamas attacks earlier this month. She also has called for aid to the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip facing a humanitarian crisis after Israel declared war on the Hamas terrorists.
In one message, according to the complaint, Miller said, “Your whole (profanity) family’s in danger.”
Miller also showed up Oct. 18 at the Lloyd D. George Courthouse in Las Vegas looking for the senator, according to the complaint.
He refused “to fully cooperate with a court security officer and was denied entry into the courthouse. After being refused entry, he became agitated and started yelling and shouting profanities,” the complaint alleges.
Additionally, while walking along Las Vegas Boulevard, Miller promised to “kill every last Israeli terrorist,” the complaint said.
Miller was arrested Thursday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Miller appeared in court Friday on a charge of making threatening communications “with intent to impede, intimidate, or interfere with the United States senator while engaged in the performance of official duties, or with intent to retaliate against the United States senator on account of the performance of official duties,” officials said.
A preliminary hearing was set for Nov. 13.
“Threats against public officials should be taken seriously. Sen. Rosen trusts the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement to handle this matter,” a spokesperson for her office said.
Rosen, the former president of the Congregation Ner Tamid synagogue in Henderson, went with four Senate colleagues to Israel two weeks ago to meet with leaders of the Jewish state in the aftermath of attacks by Hamas terrorists.
The senators met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s War Cabinet, President Issac Herzog, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid and families of people taken hostage during the attacks.
“In Israel’s moment of need, our bipartisan Senate delegation visited to reaffirm the strong, unwavering and unconditional support from both sides of the aisle in the United States. Israeli government officials told us what they need to defend their citizens and defeat Iran-backed Hamas, and I’m committed now more than ever to pass an aid package that gets them these resources,” Rosen said in a statement after her visit to Israel.
