Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) said she notified authorities about the “credible death threats” she has been receiving after voting against Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) for speaker.
Miller-Meeks is one of six GOP lawmakers who changed their votes on the second ballot Wednesday after supporting Jordan in the first round. Miller-Meeks voted for Rep Kay Granger (R-TX.) the chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee on the second ballot.
In a statement, Miller-Meeks explained that she voted for Jordan for speaker on the first ballot “for the greater good of the House Republican Party.” But, when it became clear that Jordan was never going to be elected speaker on the second ballot, she switched her vote to Granger. Since then, Miller-Meeks said she has been receiving death threats.
“I have received credible death threats and a barrage of threatening calls. The proper authorities have been notified and my office is cooperating fully,” she wrote. “One thing I cannot stomach, or support is a bully.”
This comes after recent reports that some of Jordan’s allies, including Fox News host Sean Hannity, had been trying to intimidate GOP lawmakers who aren’t backing the Ohio congressman’s bid for speaker.
Miller-Meeks is not the only anti-Jordan lawmaker to be facing harassment. The wife of Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) has received threatening texts and phone calls over her husband’s vote. Bacon supported former Speaker Kevin McCarthy in both rounds of voting.
“I understand that voting against Rep Jordan is not popular at this time,” Miller-Meeks said in her statement. “I respected Jim enough to vote for him, knowing he did not have the votes to be elected.”
“I did not stand for bullies before I voted for Chairwoman Granger and when I voted for Speaker designee Jordan, and I will not bend to bullies now,” she added.
A spokesperson for Jordan condemned the threats against lawmakers who oppose him in a statement to CNN, writing: “This is abhorrent and has no place in civil discourse. No one should receive threats and it needs to stop. We have condemned these actions repeatedly. It is important that Republicans stop attacking each other and come together.”
