An Ohio man was detained and accused by federal officials this week for threatening to kill a member of Congress if they voted to slash Medicaid.
According to a criminal complaint filed in federal court Tuesday, the FBI said the suspected caller, Jeffrey Dorsey, 60, of Dayton, left a nearly 90-second voicemail filled with profanity at the main line of the lawmaker’s office in Washington, D.C., last month. Court records did not identify the legislator.
With NBC 7, you can watch San Diego News for free, anywhere, at any time.
According to an FBI message transcript, the caller allegedly threatened to “cut your f—— head off if you vote to take my f—— Medicaid away.”
The caller allegedly went on to say, “You’re a bag of s— as a man, and I can’t stand you.” “F— the hell off, then. However, I make it very evident to you that you are a dead f— if you f— with my Medicaid.
With our News Headlines email, you can receive the best local San Diego stories every morning.
On July 4, President Donald Trump signed a comprehensive GOP domestic policy measure into law, which includes significant Medicaid cuts. The proposal was approved by the Senate on July 1 and the House on July 3.
The threatening call was made on June 29, according to the FBI.
U.S. & World
Radioactive wasp nest found at site where U.S. once made nuclear bombs
Lighthouse Parenting: What to know about this parenting method
The FBI said that after receiving subscriber information from the phone’s service provider, agents were able to track the phone back to Dorsey when an anonymous lawmaker’s staffer gave the U.S. Capitol Police an audio copy of the call.
The voice of the person who answered the phone when the FBI called the number linked to the threatening message this week sounded similar to the voicemail left with the lawmaker’s office, the FBI said.
Dorsey is being held till his detention hearing on Friday. Interstate communications with a threat of injury is the charge against him.
No attorney information for Dorsey was included in court filings.
Go here to watch live political coverage.
According to the FBI, information from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office showed that Dorsey was receiving Medicaid services from a number of providers.
On Monday, Vice President JD Vance traveled to his own Ohio to attend a Canton rally advocating Trump’s domestic policy package. Numerous Democratic lawmakers have expressed concern about the impact of the Medicaid cuts on their constituents, and they intend to bring up these issues in their conversations with voters.
In February, U.S. Capitol Police reported that investigations into 9,474 troubling statements and direct threats against members of Congress, their families, and staff members increased from 8,008 the year before, marking the second consecutive year that the number of threat assessment cases increased in 2024.
