NASHVILLE, Tenn (Tim Ghianni, Reuters) - A Tennessee man has pleaded guilty to making threatening drunken profanity-laced telephone calls to U.S. Congressman Eric Cantor, prompting the House majority leader to praise investigators on Wednesday.
Glendon Swift, 64, pleaded guilty Tuesday to threatening a family member of a federal official and accepted prosecutor's recommendation for a 13-month prison sentence for the October 27 calls, according to court documents. He was arrested November 2.
Swift, who lives in Lenoir City outside Knoxville, Tennessee, called the Republican congressman's suburban Richmond, Virginia, offices, threatening Cantor and his family and prompting an investigation by the Capitol Police and FBI.
The congressman's staff saved recordings of the calls. They included derogatory comments about Cantor's Jewish faith and threats to "destroy" him, according to court documents.
Swift admitted it was his voice on recordings and told FBI agents he "got drunk the other night and started cussing people out," according to court documents.
According to the FBI, the profanity-laced remarks included, "How about if I rape your daughter? How about that, if I come into your house and kill your wife?"
Swift pleaded guilty in federal court in Knoxville. The charge carries up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Swift's attorney, federal public defender Jonathan Moffatt could not be reached for comment Wednesday. The congressman's office deferred to law enforcement about case details, but conveyed the congressman's response via email.
"Leader Cantor appreciates the dedicated service of law enforcement and the U.S. Capitol police for their continued efforts to keep members of Congress and their families safe," spokeswoman Laena Fallon said.
Sentencing has been set for April 4.