The story covers a taxpayer-funded federal employee who used a government workstation to make a 15-month campaign of anonymous death threats against former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the guilty plea and sentencing that followed, and why this case underlines the risks Republican officials face and the need for accountability when threats come from inside federal institutions.
Seth Jason, 65, a long-time Voice of America employee, pleaded guilty to making interstate threats to kidnap or injure and to anonymous telecommunications harassment, and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison. The sentence also included two years of supervised release, handed down by U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan. From a Republican perspective, the fact that these calls originated in a federally funded newsroom makes the case particularly alarming and politically sensitive.
The criminal conduct spanned from October 2023 through January 2025, with eight threatening phone calls traced to multiple lines at VOA headquarters in Washington, D.C., where Jason worked using taxpayer-funded resources. Investigators documented the calls escalating in severity and specificity as time passed, culminating in threats surrounding the January 2025 inauguration. The progression of the messages shows intent and planning rather than random outbursts.
In one October 11, 2023 voicemail, Jason said he and his “friends” wanted to attend a Greene rally with their AK-47s and shoot the congresswoman “one between the eyes.” Two days later he boasted about stockpiling ammunition and plotting to “come after Greene and her offices and her staff and exercise our Second Amendment rights and take them all out.” Those exact words were part of the case record and were repeated in court filings.
https://x.com/USAttyPirro/status/2067708148170006720
The threats peaked in early January 2025, with a voicemail on January 8 warning that Greene would not “see the inaugural” and stating that she, her staff, and her family would be dead. On January 21, the day after the inauguration, Jason allegedly called again, telling Greene’s office they were “as good as dead” and to “make your last will ready, because we are coming after you, and the only thing you’re going to hear is bang…I’m yearning to hear you cry for your last breath.” The raw violence of that language is chilling and was a central element in prosecutors’ case.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, who announced the sentencing, emphasized the seriousness of the offense and the broader trend of threats against members of Congress. Pirro noted that the calls were made from inside Voice of America while Jason held a taxpayer-funded position and said the sentence should send a message that such threats will not be tolerated. Her statement was posted publicly before the sentencing and underscored both the criminal and ethical breach involved.
“Seth Jason repeatedly threatened to assault and kill former Congresswoman Greene and he did so from inside Voice of America where he had a taxpayer-funded job. His menacing phone calls were part of an alarming increase in threats directed at Members of Congress and other government officials. No one should have to live their life in fear wondering if threats are about to be fulfilled. Today’s sentence sends a clear message. My office will not take these threats lightly.”
Federal law enforcement traced the calls and arrested Jason in July 2025 after collaboration between the U.S. Capitol Police and the Anne Arundel County Police Department. At the time of his arrest, he also served as a volunteer reserve officer with the Anne Arundel County Police Department, a role the department later confirmed he no longer holds. The investigation was led by the U.S. Capitol Police and the State Department Office of Inspector General, with prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office handling the case.
Jason admitted in court to making all eight calls while employed at the government-funded outlet and entered his guilty plea in December 2025, clearing the way for sentencing this spring. The formal charges and guilty plea removed ambiguity about the source of the threats and the means by which they were delivered. For Republicans, the dissonance of violence coming from a taxpayer-funded workplace strikes at basic expectations of public-sector conduct.
Reports indicate that threats against Greene continued after Jason’s arrest, with her office citing additional incidents that targeted her and even family members. Greene has said the surge in threats, including those directed at her son, was a factor in her decision not to seek reelection and to leave office in January 2026. The personal toll on elected officials and their families is real and must be weighed when leaders decide whether they can safely serve.
This case highlights two broader points: the need for rigorous oversight of federally funded workplaces and the reality that threats against public officials are a persistent danger. When threats originate from inside government institutions, the public loses trust and representatives face real safety risks. Accountability matters, and so does making sure taxpayer-funded environments do not shelter violent actors.
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