Georgia congressman Rep. Rich McCormick has been “forced to close his office in downtown Cumming after receiving threats.” Rep. McCormick made the announcement on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday. He commented “that his team will begin to work remotely.” McCormick made the announcement hours after reporting indicated “an Atlanta man with a gun was arrested near the U.S. Capitol.” News coverage indicated “it was not immediately clear if the incidents were related.”
The background that appeared to lead to the threats of violence against McCormick focuses on a measure advanced on Tuesday and backed by McCormick which sought to censure and punish Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan for her rhetoric about the Israel-Hamas war. Tlaib’s comments that motivated the censure had to do, at least in part, with her comments about the bombing the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza. Palestinian news organizations blamed Israel for the bombing and also claimed, which number has not been confirmed, that “hundreds of Palestinians were killed” by the alleged Israel bombing.
In fact, the bombing was the result of an errant rocket fired by a Hamas. The Israeli government produced telephone recordings disclosing that Hamas fighters acknowledged that their rocket had hit the hospital. Even President Biden acknowledged that Israel was not responsible for the hospital bombing. Democrat Representative Tlaib, the only Palestinian American in Congress, accused Israel of the bombing.
The vote to move forward on censuring Tlaib, a punishment one step below expulsion from the House, advanced Tuesday in a procedural vote. The threats of violence against the congressman are likely, if not certainly, the consequence of McCormick proposing the measure. McCormick advanced the measure in response to what he called “Tlaib’s promotion of antisemitic rhetoric.”
McCormick is quoted as saying “Rep. Tlaib has levied unbelievable falsehoods about our greatest ally, Israel, and the attack on October 7.” The resolution eventually passed late Tuesday evening with 22 Democrats joining Republicans. See one minute video on X (formerly Twitter) here framing the censure motion and noting the “intel” was very clear that the Israelis did not bomb the hospital in Gaza.
Regarding his decision to close his office, McCormick stated: “I take the safety of my team seriously. I am temporarily closing my physical district office location in Cumming, GA due to serious threats of violence against my staff. These threats have been reported to Capitol Police and will be investigated fully.”
As reported, due to nature of the threats, Rep. McCormick declined further comment on the matter other than to say his staff is safe. McCormick is a marine veteran, an Emergency Room doctor, a husband and a father.
