Congresswoman Speier Acknowledges She Is Target Of Online Threats
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS)— San Francisco and Peninsula Congresswoman Jackie Speier said Tuesday she's known for some time about a Secret Service and Capitol Police investigation into lewd online postings threatening her and President Obama.
She said things started to intensify after a letter was sent earlier this month to the Pentagon regarding an alarming Facebook page, which makes fun of military sexual assault.
Speier has authored three bills aimed at reforming the way the military treats sex abuse cases. She's also been the champion for changing the culture in which an Air Force officer in charge of sex abuse prevention was himself charged with groping a woman.
Congresswoman Speier Addresses Being Target Of Online Threats
Now she's the target of lewd social media postings allegedly by several active duty Marines.
"Initially my only request was to determine whether or not it was being done with government resources. They then ratcheted it up by putting up a separate page that was 'F U Jackie Speier' [and] made threatening claims to both the president and me, and that's when the investigation was triggered."
She did point out that certain comments, no matter how distasteful, are protected under the First Amendment. However, the threat to her and her family prompted a deeper investigation.
Speier is pushing for the military to hand over all sexual assault cases to an independent office rather than have them handled within the chain of command.
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