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FIRST ON FOX: A Florida man was indicted Friday for allegedly threatening to kill Alina Habba in a series of online “86” posts against the interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey, Fox News Digital has learned.
The “86”” has been interpreted by law enforcement officials to mean “get rid of.”
Gregory W. Kehoe, the interim U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Florida, announced the charges Friday.
According to the indictment reviewed by Fox News Digital, Salvatore Russotto made a threat in May to “injure and kill the victim in a series of online posts.”
FBI DIRECTOR PATEL SAYS HE’S HAD TO DIVERT RESOURCES TO INVESTIGATE ‘COPYCATS’ OF COMEY ’86 47′ POST
Fox News Digital has learned that the victim referred to in the indictment is Habba, the interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey who previously served as counselor to President Donald Trump.
“[VICTIM] is a c—,” Russotto posted. “86 that b—-.”
He also allegedly posted: “A slow painful death for [VICTIM]. 86 that c—.”
Russotto also allegedly posted: “Eliminate [VICTIM]. 86 Traitor. Death penalty for all traitors.”
Russotto was charged with transmission of an interstate threat to injure and retaliating against a federal law enforcement officer by threat.
“This is yet another disturbing example of a dangerous copycat inspired by the reckless behavior of former officials, targeting those who serve our country and threatening the very people working to keep America safe,” FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital. “Our FBI will not tolerate political violence in any form.
“I’m grateful to our law enforcement partners in Florida for their swift action and steadfast commitment to justice.”
The indictment comes after Patel said he has been forced to divert agents to investigate “copycats” of potential threats to Trump as a result of former FBI Director James Comey’s “86 47” social media post last month.
FORMER FBI DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY MEETS WITH SECRET SERVICE AFTER CONTROVERSIAL ’86 47′ POST
“Do you know how many agents I’ve had to take offline from chasing down child sex predators, fentanyl traffickers, terrorists, because, everywhere across this country, people are popping up on social media and think that a threat to the life of the president of the United States is a joke and they can do it because he did it?” Patel said last month.
“That’s what I’m having to deal with every single day, and that’s what I’m having to pull my agents and analysts off because he thought it was funny to go out there and make a political statement.”
An FBI official told Fox News Digital the agency cannot disclose the number of “copycat” incidents due to ongoing investigations but described the number to Fox News Digital as “significant.”
Comey met with Secret Service officials in Washington this month for an interview about his “86 47” Instagram post, two sources briefed on the meeting told Fox News.
Comey is under investigation for the now-deleted Instagram post that showed seashells arranged on a beach to say “86 47.”
“Cool shell formation on my beach walk,” he wrote along with the post.
Comey offered an explanation for the post after he received backlash on social media.
“I posted earlier a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message,” the subsequent post from Comey said. “I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence. It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”
The president, in a May interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, didn’t accept Comey’s explanation.
“He knew exactly what that meant. A child knows what that meant,” Trump told Baier. “If you’re the FBI director, and you don’t know what that meant, that meant ‘assassination,’ and it says it loud and clear.”
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