WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Las Vegas man faces federal criminal charges after threatening to kill Democratic U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen, who is Jewish, in a series of messages to her office vowing to "finish what Hitler started," according to court documents and the Justice Department.
John Miller, 43, left a series of messages with the office of a U.S. senator of Nevada between Oct. 11 and Oct. 19 in the days following Hamas' attack on Israel, and threatened to assault, kidnap or murder the senator, the department said in its criminal complaint released on Monday.
Rosen's office on Tuesday confirmed she was the target of the threats, adding, "Threats against public officials should be taken seriously."
The threats come amid a rise in antisemitism in the United States and worldwide since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack.
Miller was charged with one count of threatening a federal official and faces a Nov. 13 court hearing following his arrest last week, the Justice Department said.
In his messages, the Nevada man cited Israel's actions in its war with the militant group and threatened to "exterminate" the lawmaker, calling her "subhuman," the criminal complaint said. Miller also was turned away Oct. 18 from a courthouse in Las Vegas where he said he was going to see Rosen, becoming agitated and threatening to kill Israelis, it added.
(Reporting by Susan Heavey and Doina Chiacu; editing by Jonathan Oatis)