Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert Receive Messages Threatening Congress

WASHINGTON - A U.S. law enforcement official said on Wednesday that officials are probing letters sent to television personalities Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, which threaten biological attacks on U.S. senators.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the messages to Stewart and Colbert threatened to send letters to all 100 U.S. senators, and that 10 of them would contain a deadly pathogen.

Several letters have been received at lawmakers' offices, and so far the substance they contained has been found to be harmless, a Senate official said.

Other law enforcement officials said some of the letters in question contained anti-government and anti-Wall Street rhetoric.

(Reporting by Mark Hosenball; Writing By Warren Strobel; Editing by Sandra Maler)

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Comments

[TarzanaGirl]

06:13 PM on 03/08/2012

Sending such letters to two of the most popular celebrities on television sounds like a pathetic and desperate cry for attention. He or she probably figured that Jon and / or Stephen would either do a comedy segment about the letters, or at the very least mention them. "Hey, look how cool I am ... Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert mentioned my name on their programs."

[DanORants]

10:08 AM on 02/24/2012

Can someone please help explain this?

Stewart and Colbert received letters saying biological attacks were to be carried out on U.S. senators . Why did Stewart and Colbert receive these? Why wasn't the attack just carried out?

[powermuffn]

04:27 PM on 02/24/2012

Did you not read the story? Several senators received anti-government, anti-Wall Street letters and the substances found in the letters proved to be harmless. Sometimes, when a story is just three paragraphs long, it helps to read to the end and not take the headline at face value.

[DanORants]

03:59 PM on 02/25/2012

Yes I read the story, several times. I failed to see why Stewart and Colbert were involved.

Sometimes, you should really READ a question before you give a completely unrelated, condescending answer.

[proffordisabilities]

11:48 AM on 02/23/2012

Stewart and Colbert should not be unhinged by this type of threat that is most likely from a Republican voter, or maybe a Republican politician. If free speech is frightened off by some threat from which the originator must be able to be discovered (gee, I have my most "honest" comments censored by "whoever" especially if it includes the name of a shrub in it all the time, a little circle comes onto my screen and doesn't stop and my screen is frozen until...ZAP, I have to sign on again, a cute little trick these "whoevers" have gotten down to a T, so I dont talk about landscaping anymore despite the incredible history that would knock your socks off and make the husband of the secretaaaary of state look like a choir boy who didn't deserve the fruit he was forced upon). Well, if we want a nation of humanists, we will need politicians to model humanity, so GOP, get theeselves to Confession and do thy required Hail Marys and Our Fathers and find your souls.

[powermuffn]

04:29 PM on 02/24/2012

ENOUGH with the religion getting into politics, okay??!? It has no place there and shouldn't even be mentioned in conjunction with the names of the President, the Congress or the Senate!

[proffordisabilities]

11:10 AM on 02/27/2012

Sorry, powermuffn, the Hail Mary's and Our Fathers were in satire, but you are right, I should not be using faith in satire, that would be "Blasphemy" (wink)!!!! Have a great day (smile) !!!

[stape45]

11:30 AM on 02/23/2012

I would lay 3:1 odds that this terrorist's first language is English.

[zelduh]

01:42 PM on 03/08/2012

The question is, however, at what grade level?

[Michigan Joe]

11:03 AM on 02/23/2012

Santorum said it was the devil. Or was that the church lady?

[emlr]

09:47 AM on 02/23/2012

Last night Jon had a segment on re: a dangerous bird flu virus that was CREATED in a lab. Some people have already contracted the virus.
Why, why, why are these things being created?!?!? Aren't the originals bad enough?

[DanORants]

10:10 AM on 02/24/2012

Possibly for vaccines? In order to be vaccinated from tetanus you need to be injected with tetanus. That's my best hypothesis.

[gravescanada]

09:43 AM on 02/23/2012

We are a large diverse nation with millions of people having many different points of view. It is not unusual for there to be a few deranged individuals who lash out in this type of manner. Thankfully The Daily Show, and The Colbert Report did the right thing and gave the letter to the authorities.

[ruthtruth]

09:29 AM on 02/23/2012

An how does this solve anything? Who ever is doing this needs to STOP THIS CRAP.

[Steve Rockett]

06:02 AM on 02/23/2012

Let's take the word "probe" out of our communication. It is being overused and does not conjure up a positive image.

[straightuptalker]

04:32 AM on 02/23/2012

On a more serious note, what's truly bothersome is that these biological weapons still exist, which leads to further disturbing questions. If the pathogens were oriignally created and stored by our military, I can only wonder why, and which nation would be considered the intended target, and would we really leash this horrific destruction on mankind, anywhere on the planet? As long as they exist, we'll always live with the threat, whether from foreign or domestic terrorists. Why don't we just destroy them once and for all, and cooperate with other nations to do the same?

[splashy]

06:32 AM on 02/23/2012

All very good questions. The fact that there are so many gripped in fear of others leads to things like that. It's like the people who want more and more guns, an arms race that leads nowhere.

[babyjesussaysso]

02:51 PM on 03/11/2012

It does lead somewhere, record profits for the military industrial complex, ever greater deficits and lower standards of living for the 99%.

[Rob Cypher]

02:36 AM on 02/23/2012

I wonder if the letter writer drew "RON PAUL 4 PRESIDENT" in crayon on the envelopes.

[jamsie]

04:29 AM on 02/23/2012

lol

I wonder if the letter writer drew "Rick Santorum 4 PRESIDENT" in crayon on the envelopes.

ftfy

[Bill Edelman]

06:51 AM on 02/23/2012

Probably in the spot where the return address goes...

[EF3]

01:22 AM on 02/23/2012

Whisky Tango Foxtrot?!!

[budanatr]

12:55 AM on 02/23/2012

Another nut on the loose.

[Jim8]

12:54 AM on 02/23/2012

Maybe he's one of those who does not see satire and does not get the bit.

[splashy]

06:33 AM on 02/23/2012

Assuming it's a he ..... who am I kidding, of COURSE it's a he. She's are far less likely to do things like this.

[Jim8]

12:44 PM on 02/23/2012

A "she" would key their cars.

[Mrs Truth]

12:51 AM on 02/23/2012

"Other law enforcement officials said some of the letters in question contained anti-government and anti-Wall Street rhetoric"

Nice job OWS supporters. Their threats are getting more dangerous, communistic, and so, so........obviously supported by Unions and our current administration. These lost souls are following anyone that gives them some direction (and money). Zero truth, or guidance from their parents. So sad. Saul Alinsky's "Rules for Radicals", which our current leaders studied and admired to the point of instituting, is working extremely well.

[Julian Cicone]

01:21 AM on 02/23/2012

What in the world are you talking about? It also says anti-government which would be conservative and many conservatives and libertarians are upset against Wall Street and the banks. The letters were sent to Colbert and John Stewart who the Occupy Protesters love. This is not Occupy, its probably some tea-party guy. Occupy was never dangerous or communistic.

[Wayne909]

02:23 AM on 02/23/2012

"This is not Occupy, its probably some tea-party guy. Occupy was never dangerous or communistic."

Really?

1. Tea Party: demonstation arrests, costs to clean up after a demonstration, and damage to private or public property = zero.
2. OWS: Arrests = several hundred, costs to clean up = At least near $1 million, Property Damage Costs = multiple millions. The costs to Oakland and New York City alone are estimated at $13 million.
http://sweetness-light.com/archive/ows-costs-nyc-and-oakland-13m-so-far

My guess is that whoever this person is, he/she is a lone wolf type with no connections to either group. That said, it appears OWS is clearly more likely to cause damage, disruptions, and costs to taxpayers.

[Rob Cypher]

02:37 AM on 02/23/2012

Probably a Ron Paul fan.

[Cory A Vincent]

04:33 AM on 02/23/2012

Its not #Occupy dip-shit....by the way retard,just because someone isn't a white-wing tool doesn't mean they are unAmerican...nothing wrong with Saul Alinsky...and Obama is no follower...the facts of his procorporate policies say different...you should really read sometimes instead of speaking from yur drone mind..