A 27-year-old Seattle man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to threatening a federal official, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. JASPER KILMER HILLMAN BELL admits he made multiple phone calls to the staff of Congressman Jim McDermott in mid-April 2016, and in one call threatened to cut out the congressman’s tongue. BELL expressed outrage over how delegates were being allocated between the two Democratic candidates for President and the role of Congressman McDermott as a ‘Super Delegate.’ Prosecutors will ask for up to a year in prison for BELL when he is sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik on October 28, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, in mid-April 2016, protestors went to Congressman McDermott’s office unhappy about his support for a particular Democratic presidential candidate as a ‘Super Delegate.’ BELL had written to the Congressman three times about the Super Delegate controversy, and had called the office on multiple occasions. On April 22, 2016, BELL called the Congressman’s office in Seattle seventeen times, and his Washington DC office an additional six times in one fifty minute period. In the calls BELL expressed his outrage that protestors had been arrested at the Congressman’s office. Speaking with staffers BELL demanded to know the Congressman’s home address and said he would “track him down and cut his (expletive) tongue out.” He told one he would find Congressman McDermott’s home address and “…he would not be safe.” Following the angry phone calls BELL went to the Congressman’s office and pounded on the locked exterior doors demanding to be admitted to the offices. Seattle Police arrested BELL later that evening.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, prosecutors will ask for no more than one year in prison.
BELL was in custody in the King County Jail until federal charges were filed earlier this week. Following his guilty plea today he was released on the condition that he get anger management and mental health treatment. Under the terms of his release bond, BELL is required to have no contact with Congressman McDermott and his staff, and must stay a quarter mile from the Congressman’s office. BELL is required to stay a half mile away from any political rally in the state of Washington.
The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department, U.S. Capitol Police and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.