Gregory Lee Giusti, a 48-year-old man from San Francisco, was
detained yesterday and will appear in federal court there today, according to Joseph Schadler, spokesman for the FBI.
“The speaker thanks the FBI, the Capitol Hill Police, House Sergeant at Arms, and other law enforcement officials for their professionalism in this matter,” Brendan Daly, a spokesman for Pelosi, said yesterday in an e-mailed statement. “She will have no further comment at this time.”
Giusti made several threatening phone calls to Pelosi, the Democrat who represents California. His anger was directed to Pelosi based on the health care law approved by Congress, according to officials, who declined to be identified because they were not authorized to publicly speak on the case.
Giusti is no stranger to threatening authorities. In 2004, he was convicted of threatening to kill a conductor after being kicked off a train car in San Mateo County, prosecutors said.
Giusti's phone calls aren't the first threatening phone calls to U.S. Congresspeople. On Tuesday, authorities announced charges against a Washington state man who allegedly made threatening calls to Senator Patty Murray (D-WA). Charges also have been filed against a Philadelphia man who allegedly made a YouTube video threatening Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA).
