'Deeply troubling': Senate candidates Slotkin and Rogers targeted in swatting attempts
U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) and former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-White Lake) were each targeted in swatting attempts days after winning their party’s nomination for U.S. Senate.
During a campaign event on Friday, Slotkin confirmed there had been an incident of swatting — falsely calling emergency services to and deceiving them into sending armed police to another person’s address — at her home in Holly.
“I wasn’t there. It, you know, pulled out a bunch of law enforcement who should have been doing other things and should have been working on real security threats,” Slotkin told reporters “We’ve turned it over to the [U.S.] Capitol Police, they’re doing an investigation and we want to hold people accountable.”
Rogers spoke out against the incident prior to a notice from his own campaign reporting a swatting attempt against Rogers’ family.
“The reports that Rep. Slotkin’s home was ‘swatted’ last night are horrific and I am glad to hear that she was not harmed,” Rogers said in a post on X.
“As a former FBI agent I can tell you that diverting law enforcement toward fake crimes is dangerous and can lead to very bad outcomes. I know this because I was a victim of a similar incident in 2013. It’s my sincere hope that the perpetrators are found and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Rogers said.
Former U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Grand Rapids) also weighed in, calling the attempt “disgusting.”
“Unfortunately in Michigan, candidates for office have to publicly list the address of their home residence in order to qualify for the ballot,” Meijer said in a post. “It’s important to confirm candidate residency requirements, but given threats to public officials there has to be a better way to balance this need with privacy and security concerns.”
On Friday, Rogers spokesperson Chris Gustafson released a statement reporting Rogers’ family had also been targeted in a swatting incident.
“Today, family members of Mike Rogers were the target of a swatting attempt at their home in Livingston County. Michigan State Police responded to the false threat and thankfully no one at the home was harmed. Mike and his family are beyond grateful for the professionalism and swift response of law enforcement,” Gustafson said.
“This is the second time that Mike has been the target of a swatting, first in 2013 as a member of congress, and reports that Rep. Slotkin was also the target yesterday are a clear example of the deeply concerning trend of political violence that has quickly become the norm,” Gustafson said. “This kind of violence cannot be tolerated and it is our hope that those responsible will be quickly prosecuted and held accountable..”
Michigan State Police Lt. Rene Gonzalez confirmed state police told the Advance in an email that an MSP sergeant responded to an address in Genoa Township for a report of a domestic situation who later determined it was a false report after making contact with the female homeowner.
While state police could not confirm if the home was connected to Rogers, Gustafson previously confirmed that Rogers was living with his sister-in-law in Genoa Township near Brighton while awaiting construction of his home in White Lake Township.
Slotkin later responded to the incident on X, calling the news “deeply troubling.”
“I am glad to hear both he and his family were not harmed. This type of behavior is not acceptable in public life. I thank Michigan State Police for their swift and professional response and I hope those responsible are investigated and held accountable by law enforcement,” Slotkin said.
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