--- title: Swatting: What Is It and Why Are Politicians Being Targeted description: The list of political figures targeted by swatting hoaxes since Christmas is growing fast, and includes MTG, Shenna Bellows and Michelle Wu canonical: https://time.com/6551369/swatting-hoax-mtg-maine-secretary-state/ author: Brian Bennett article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2024-01-01T21:22:03.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-01-19T09:43:02.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: Politicians in Both Parties Targeted by Swatting Hoaxes og:description: A rash of swatting hoaxes since Christmas targeting political figures is raising concerns that the dangerous practice will be a go-to weapon of political intimidation in 2024 og:url: https://time.com/6551369/swatting-hoax-mtg-maine-secretary-state/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt05d67a7077c83b78/698a438be6e84a39bd2b0d6f/GettyImages-1831272318.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: House Votes Dec 7 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Politicians in Both Parties Targeted by Swatting Hoaxes twitter:description: A rash of swatting hoaxes since Christmas targeting political figures is raising concerns that the dangerous practice will be a go-to weapon of political intimidation in 2024 twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt05d67a7077c83b78/698a438be6e84a39bd2b0d6f/GettyImages-1831272318.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Swatting Hoaxes Are Targeting Elected Officials From Both Parties. Here's What to Know > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=ada9e194-edad-438c-9e7f-6cf180c27afe&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: The Biggest Moments In U.S. Politics From 2023 [Watch (HLS stream): The Biggest Moments In U.S. Politics From 2023](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/i9YDvYnh.m3u8) (10:27)  _Published 2023-12-18. Take a look at some of the biggest moments in U.S. politics from 2023 with TIME Senior Politics reporter Brian Bennett._  by [Brian Bennett](https://time.com/author/brian-bennett/)  ## Brian Bennett Bennett is a former senior White House correspondent at TIME. Updated: Jan 19, 2026 9:43 AM UTCPublished: Jan 1, 2024 9:22 PM UTC  Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is seen outside the U.S. Capitol on December 7, 2023. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is seen outside the U.S. Capitol on December 7, 2023. Tom Williams—CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images  by [Brian Bennett](https://time.com/author/brian-bennett/)  ## Brian Bennett Bennett is a former senior White House correspondent at TIME. Updated: Jan 19, 2026 9:43 AM UTCPublished: Jan 1, 2024 9:22 PM UTC The day after Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows had stripped Donald Trump from the state’s presidential primary ballot, a person called police on Dec. 29 to report a fake burglary at her home in Manchester, Maine. Two days earlier, a man called police, with a false report that he had shot his wife and gave police the address for Republican Senator Rick Scott’s home in Naples, Florida. On Christmas Day, a caller to a state suicide hotline invented a fake shooting to try to to get a SWAT team sent to raid Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s home in Rome, Georgia. Separate fake calls that same day sent police to the homes of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, a Democrat, and Rep. Brandon Williams, a Republican from Upstate New York. A rash of so-called swatting calls, in which pranksters make illegal and dangerous fake emergency calls in hopes of sending armed police to raid a person’s home, have targeted political figures from across the political spectrum, raising concerns that the dangerous practice will be increasingly being used as a weapon of political retaliation and intimidation as the 2024 political season kicks off. Here’s what you need to know about swatting. ## What is swatting? Swatting is a type of harassment that involves trying to trick police into sending a heavily armed raid to someone’s home — often a SWAT team — when no actual crime is in progress, according to the [FBI](https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/lasvegas/news/press-releases/fbi-las-vegas-federal-fact-friday-the-dangers-of-swatting). Often the caller is falsely reporting a serious violent crime such as a home invasion, a hostage situation or a shooting. The harasser making the call will often use a fake caller ID, or online calling or phone spoofing software to hide their location or make it appear the emergency call is coming from the victim’s phone. ## Why is swatting dangerous? The fake emergency calls can be dangerous for both the people being targeted and their loved ones, as well as the police responding because police often arrive on the scene expecting to encounter an armed suspect or a bomb threat. A man was shot and killed by an officer in 2017 in Wichita, Kansas, when police responded to what turned out to be a swatting incident. Police in Maryland in 2015 responded to reports of a fake hostage situation and ended up shooting a man in the face with rubber bullets. Police officers also say that the fake calls divert officers away from responding to real crimes. ### More From TIME ## Who is being targeted by swatting? The FBI [posted](https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/news/stories/2008/february/swatting020408) on its website about a “new phenomenon” called “swatting” in 2008\. In the past decade, the FBI saw an increase in what it calls “celebrity swatting”, where the victims targeted are public figures such as Tom Cruise, Justin Bieber, Ashton Kutcher and Miley Cyrus. Increasingly, those being targeted by swatting calls are political figures as well, including a burst of such incidents reported over the December holidays. "I was just swatted. This is like the 8th time. On Christmas with my family here," [wrote](https://twitter.com/RepMTG/status/1739312209996497293) Taylor Greene of Georgia on X, formally known as Twitter, on Dec. 25\. The homes of at least two other politicians—Williams in New York, and Wu in Massachusetts—were also targeted by swatting calls that same day. Two days later, the home of another Georgia Republican, Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, was targeted by a swatting call. “Let me be clear — I will not be intimidated by those attempting to silence me,” Jones wrote on X. “We will put an end to this madness. We are in full compliance with law enforcement, and I am confident that those responsible will be brought to justice and be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” The rash of swatting phone calls continued with Senator Rick Scott of Florida, a Republican, and Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat. In a Dec. 30 [Facebook post](https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story%5Ffbid=pfbid02Ud4fgBWWHz8eLSy4FzSy9JqmW2esCqVBQnGr5v1nRxeynVAhYvTytkD36wRkAhH4l&id=1008792547&mibextid=qC1gEa&paipv=0&eav=AfZi2Ww7DN%5FcuByC6nEtrSyyxAQ-mjomeVDSiczasngOYL6aFd8upw6xIvzY%5FrNnYUk&%5Frdr), Bellows wrote about the swatting attempt and other threats made against her and her family since she announced her decision to [ban Trump from the 2024 ballot](https://time.com/6551114/maine-trump-ballot/), citing the U.S. Constitution’s insurrectionist clause. “Swatting incidents have resulted in casualties although thankfully this one did not,” Bellows wrote. “This behavior is unacceptable. The non-stop threatening communications the people who work for me endured all day yesterday is unacceptable. It’s designed to scare not only me but also others into silence, to send a message.” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, saidd on January 3 that his home in McKinney, Texas had been targeted on New Year's Day by someone who called 911 to report a fake life-threatening situation. Paxton described the incident in a [post on X](https://twitter.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/1742489101494796688), writing that he and his wife were not home when police arrived. "Making false reports to 911 is a crime which should be vigorously prosecuted when this criminal is identified," Paxton wrote, adding that he thinks the call was politically motivated. "We understand some people may not agree with our strong conservative efforts to secure the border, prevent election fraud, and protect our constitutional liberties, but compromising the effectiveness and safety of law enforcement is completely unacceptable," he wrote. ## What is being done about swatting? Some states have increased penalties for making swatting calls. In 2023, Ohio made it a felony offense to call in a false emergency that initiates a law enforcement action. Virginia in 2023 boosted penalties for swatting calls to include up to 12 months in jail. Congress hasn’t taken up a bill to increase national penalties for swatting calls. After the most recent swatting against her on Dec. 25, Taylor Green wrote on X that she intends to introduce a bill in the House that would make it easier to arrest and prosecute people behind swatting calls. ## Transcript It's been quite a year in Washington. So let's remind the tape and look at the year the beginning of the year President Biden ended Federal government's covid-19 emergency measures then in February a Chinese spy balloon Traverse the entire United States President Biden have to decide what to do about it. Today, I was briefed on the Ballon d'Or in the Pentagon to shoot it down on Wednesday as soon as possible whole incident led to a major Rift between the US and China to nuclear Powers. They had to find a way back to diplomacy fighting that was she doing thing the Chinese president outside of San Francisco in November to try to re-establish the communication. Biden said that he and Ukraine and push for Congress to send more money for key to defend itself from Russian aggression. Now on Israel fighting came out very strong support of the Israeli government to hackers attacked by Hamas on October 7th in this moment of tragedy. I want to say to them into the world and the terrorists everywhere at the United States stands with Israel will make sure that they have the help their Citizens need and they can continue to defend themselves facing pressure within his own party to call for a ceasefire and Gaza. We need a permanent ceasefire now we need to end the mass murder of Palestinians have Palestinian children So to push forward on its support for Israel and Ukraine Biden, they too dangerous trips one. He took Night Train in the key key to still within rocket distance of Russian Artillery and met with Ukrainian President Vladimir zelensky inside Keith. And then also shortly after the October 7th attacks he flew into Israel to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This was also the year that President Biden announced that he was going to run for a second term. He announced his candidacy for Emily and April and he doesn't have any major challenges not Democratic primaries begin early next year that will create a major moment where Biden campaign will try to set up a contrast. Assuming the from President Trump is Republican nominee. Biden will try to describe the voters that he's been a steady hand and government for 4 years and that Donald Trump bring back a pattern of Destruction or let's talk about Congress this year Republicans took over the house at the beginning of the year and there's been a lot of infighting all year. He got off to a rocky start it took 15 rounds of voting for Kevin McCarthy. Do we elect the speaker in the first place? Not been elected speaker has not been elected not been elected not been elected not been elected. Not been elected. Not been elected not been elected. Well Republicans in the house finally elected as Speaker post-midnight early on Saturday after Kevin McCarthy acquiesce to the demands of the most extreme members of his caucus, but he was ousted nine months later. They were contentious speaker votes in October and Mike Johnson is now the Speaker of the House the car if he didn't even want to finish out his term and after 17 years in Congress said he would resign at the end of the year will be departing the house at the end of this year. I will never ever give up fighting for this country that I love so much and this is also a year when the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Ticketmaster and weather was acting like Monopoly who is Taylor Swift concert and the trouble that are fantastic getting tickets that forced to send it to take up this issue the Senators took that moment to use a lot of Taylor Swift song title funds as a load to Taylor Swift. I will say we know all too. Well, she's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers. Taylor Swift to have written a song about this very situation a few million Taylor Swift. This is why we can't have nice things people seem to think that somehow a solution. I think it's it. It's a nightmare dressed like a Daydream Ticketmaster Auto look in the mirror and say I'm the problem, it's me and may House Republicans threatened to let the US default on its debt and a lot of brinkmanship Republicans and the White House came to a deal that prevented the US from defaulting. They punted the ceiling fight two after the presidential election in the beginning of 2025 in September House Republicans decide to launch a formal impeachment inquiry against Joe Biden today. I am directing our house committee to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President. Joe Biden House. Republicans are trying to make the case that Joe Biden somehow profited from his son Hunter Biden's overseas business deal, but so far there hasn't been evidence of that. Also in September. Democratic senator Bob Menendez who represents New Jersey was indicted on federal corruption charges prosecutor filed the charges. They also showed photographs of gold bars and stacks of cash. The prosecutors say were bribed the Menendez and then there's George Santa's the first-term Republican from New York was expelled from Congress in December. It took three votes to get there in the end 105 Republicans joined Democrats in the house to expel Santa's. There were concerns over him fabricating his resume lying about his past and also he faces federal charges for money laundering Dept of public funds and making false statements Santos denies wrongdoing and hundreds of requests record personalized videos on the website Cameo. My favorite song is definitely going to be trouble trouble when there are big changes in the Senate this year Senator Dianne Feinstein died after a groundbreaking Thirty years in the Senate California governor Gavin Newsom appointed laphonza Butler to fill her senate seat Butler's been a powerful Union organizer in the state and was ahead of Emily's List a group that works to elect women candidates who favor of abortion rights, Joe manchin said he wouldn't run for re-election. This is a big deal because the West Virginia senator is a Democrat winning in a largely Red State and his bowing out of the race in 2024 could lead to another Republican seat being out in the Senate the Senate is nearly to buy the right now and that could affect the balance of power. Also this year to campus debates over Free Speech came to Washington University have been criticized for failing to protect you as students from an increase in anti-semitic attacks during Israel's war and Gaza three University presidents were called to testify before the house education committee University of Pennsylvania president resigned under pressure after her response to questioning. Why does that Professor still have a job at your University? Very troubled by what you're describing Congressman that kind of spending it you allow these professors to teach at your college. You create a safe haven for this type of anti-Semitic Behavior. Here's a few cases to highlight from the Supreme Court this year bring for ruled that map of hearthstone abortion drug can remain on us markets. The decision is seen as a victory for the national abortion rights movement the court overturned Alabama election day in the state of diluted the power black voters by drawing a map with only one black District Court also ruled that race-conscious admissions processes at Harvard and North Carolina or unlawful. This could have sweeping impact on admissions at universities across the United States as universities try to find out how to have student bodies that reflect the makeup of the country without running afoul of Supreme Courts to do the court also ruled that a web designer has the right to refuse service to same-sex couples, which was a setback for lgbtq plus price. Supreme Court also dealt a blow to President Joe Biden's effort to forgive large amount of student loan debt. The Court ruled that the heroes act allow that President Biden was using to allow people to delay payments on student loans and forgive large portions of them did not Grant the president the right to do that. And so the president has had to go back to the drawing board and find new mechanisms within the role of the executive. We will probably just do approaching a different walk with my original plan for so-called higher education in a major story this year. The Supreme Court wasn't even about the ruling. It was about the Justice news reports show that Justice Clarence Thomas hadn't disclosed luxury trips with Republican donor Harlan Crow and other transactions going back twenty years. So that Justice is under pressure came up with the Netflix code that they released but there's no mechanism to enforce it. It's really on the justices themselves in an honor System to abide by then. And also this year former President Donald Trump walk into this court house and became the first former president to ever be formally indicted and arraigned on federal charges. He's facing charges here for trying to overturn the 2020 election and setting in motion a series of events that led to the January 6th violent assault on the US Capitol President Trump is also facing charges in three other courtrooms. Not one charge but 91 charges and the outcome of those cases that will play out over the next couple of years could very well determine Donald Trump's political future and how the justice system can deal with former president was also running for office and facing charges at the same time. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6551369/swatting-hoax-mtg-maine-secretary-state/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6551369/swatting-hoax-mtg-maine-secretary-state/"},"headline":"Swatting Hoaxes Are Targeting Elected Officials From Both Parties. 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