Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows has become the latest victim of swatting, a dangerous prank involving fake emergency calls aimed at prompting a large-scale law enforcement response. The incident occurred on Friday night, just a day after Bellows removed former President Donald Trump from the state’s presidential primary ballot under the Constitution’s insurrection clause.
Swatting involves making a fraudulent call to emergency services with the intention of dispatching a significant police presence, including SWAT teams, to a targeted residence. In Bellows’ case, a call was made claiming a break-in at her home in Manchester. Fortunately, Bellows and her husband were away for the holiday weekend, and responding officers found nothing suspicious.
This disturbing trend of swatting is not isolated to Bellows; Republican U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was also targeted in Georgia on Christmas morning. A man from New York called the Georgia suicide hotline, falsely claiming a violent incident at Greene’s home. Police are actively investigating the incident to identify and charge the perpetrator.
Swatting suspects are increasingly facing legal consequences, with states considering stronger penalties for such malicious actions. In a similar case, a New York man was sentenced to three months in prison for making threatening calls to Greene’s office in Washington, D.C., earlier in the year.
While the motive behind the swatting attempt against Bellows remains unclear, she attributes it to her decision to remove Trump from the ballot. A conservative activist had posted her home address on social media, leading to the swatting incident. Bellows emphasized that her commitment to upholding the Constitution and the rule of law remains unwavering despite these intimidation tactics.
In a phone call with The Associated Press, Bellows expressed her determination, stating, “Here’s what I’m not doing differently. I’m doing my job to uphold the Constitution, the rule of law.”
Bellows has faced threats and intimidation since her decision to exclude Trump from the ballot, with at least one Republican lawmaker in Maine expressing interest in pursuing impeachment against her. Beyond swatting attempts, she revealed that dehumanizing fake images and text threads attributed to her have been circulated online, heightening the danger of escalating rhetoric.
Bellows, who has a background in civil rights, emphasized the potential dangers of dehumanization, citing it as the first step toward creating an environment conducive to attacks and violence. She urged for a de-escalation of rhetoric and a return to the values that foster healthy democratic discourse.
Despite the challenges, Bellows remains resilient, stating, “The people of Maine have a strong tradition of being able to disagree on important issues without violence.” She called for a collective effort to de-escalate the situation and uphold the values that make the democratic republic, and specifically Maine, great.
In response to Bellows’ decision regarding Trump’s ballot removal, the Trump campaign plans to appeal to Maine’s state courts. Bellows has suspended her ruling until the court system decides on the case. Additionally, the Colorado Supreme Court recently removed Trump from the state’s ballot, pending a U.S. Supreme Court decision on whether the insurrection clause prohibits him from holding office due to his alleged involvement in insurrection during the Civil War.