Washington (CNN) - Days after his address was posted online by a Virginia Tea Party activist, the FBI and local law enforcement officials are investigating a "suspicious incident" at the home of Rep. Tom Perriello's brother.
A line to the propane tank on his brother's gas grill had been "severed," an aide to the Democratic congressman told CNN.
"It was enough that he could smell the gas," the aide said.
The Albemarle County Fire Marshal's office confirmed they are investigating the incident - which took place in Ivy, Virginia - along with the FBI.
"While officials are not willing to characterize the exact nature of the incident because of the ongoing investigation, it did not involve an immediate threat to occupants of the residence," Lee Catlin, Community Relations Director for the Fire Marshal, told CNN. "However officials are taking the incident very seriously and conducting a vigorous investigation. Additional details will be released as the investigation continues."
Catlin said county officials joined the investigation late Tuesday after a request from the FBI.
Politico reported Monday that a Tea Party activist in Lynchburg, angry over Perriello's vote in favor of health care reform legislation, had posted the address of Perriello's brother online and encouraged other activists to "stop by" and weigh in on the bill. The activist had apparently meant to post the congressman's home address but mistakenly published his brother's.
Perriello, who represents Virginia's conservative-leaning 5th congressional district, encompassing central and southern parts of the state. He was narrowly elected to his first term in 2008 and is considered one of the most vulnerable House Democrats in 2010.
On Wednesday, Perriello's office issued the following statement:
“My number one priority right now is ensuring the safety of my brother’s family, and I am grateful to law enforcement for their excellent work. While it is too early to say anything definitive regarding political motivations behind this act, it’s never too early for political leaders to condemn threats of violence, particularly as threats to other Members of Congress and their children escalate. And so I ask every member of House and Senate leadership to state unequivocally tonight that it is never OK to harm or threaten elected officials and their families with anything more than political retribution. Here in America, we settle our political differences at the ballot box.”
From CNN Politics
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This should be front page headlines all over the Nation. These tea bag fanatics are dangerous. They call themselves "patriots"- I call ehm Un American Traitors. They need to go back under the rock they came from!
Tea Party = KKK, no white robes required.
Tea Party Movement= Anti -Goverment Domestic Terroist.....
The spewing of vile hatred that continues to be incited by Palin, McCain, Limbaugh, Hannity, and Beck will have seriously consequences unless the rhetoric is toned down by the GOP. Why call it the "Tea Party" when really it is 2010's version of the KKK? Their basic philosophy is "if you don't agree with me, I'm going to kill you." Wow, GOP...sounds like you are going to be responsible for another Civil War!
I hope the teabagging republicans/libertarians are proud of themselves, This is the kind of thing they stand for,
Miss Sarah and her bulls eye website should be taken down as well. This is the kind of stupidity that happens when the GOP and their Jack Booted thugs incite the ignorant to act. These people will not be happy until someone get hurt.
I bet a pro-"lifer" cut the gas line...
Is Tea Party spelled KKK?
Tea Klux Klan Party = NAZI Brown Shirts, Right Wing Terrorists.
Hey TCM, and all you other NAZI-KLAN-Republican sympathizers, you really wanna push things to this extreme?
Right Wing Tea terrorists need to dealt with the way our brave soldiers deal with Taliban insurgents.
"Tea Party" lunatics are terrorists in waiting. They should be treated as such. Period.
Shame on those politicians and commentators who are so classless to feed this madness. When someone does get injured or worse, It will be partially their fault.
As a lifetime independent voter, I can't help but shy away from voting for republicans because to me, a vote for them has become a vote for hatred and violence. Sad.
This is BULL- – - -. if there were minorities doing this type of hateful marching and inciting violence there would have been more done. It's because it's the white boys that's doing it so there is not to much addressed. The tea baggers and all of there ignorant supporters are getting out of hand and I tell you one thing this is not the 60's and people are not going to sit back and do nothing.
This is the gang that wants to run America– street thugs who can't even organize anything more complex than spitting and name-calling, without screwing it all up.
Tea Party = Nut Cases
Thinks are getting way out of hand. Promoting violence over what...health insurance....really???? No one is taking away your freedoms. They're just allowing 25 year old college kids to stay on their parent's health insurance. Ohhhh, that's scary stuff.
**Just another example of the influence the GOP and their fear mongering behavior have on their uneducated followers.
They go from calling the President a liar, to yelling out baby killer on the house floor. What next, burning churches? Burning crosses? These people are not activist, they are terrorist.**
So the GOP is made up of people who sabotage and destroy and threaten. The new terrorist group, I see. What's next? Suicide bombers from the GOP?
They're not Tea Party Activists, they're Tea Party Terrorists.
Dear Tea Party Members, our weapon of choice should be prayer. Anyone who takes up arms a against the Democrats or anyone else in the government is not helping the cause of freedom, but hurting it.
This is sickening: Is this the America we can eb proud of? You Rpublicans claim to be Christians, so let me ask you: WWJD? What Would Jesus Do?
How can the Tea Party activists and Republicans can be so STUPID!!! What will this stuff accomplish!!!!!!!!!!!
Those pesky little republican terrorists are brainless. It has been said that their average IQ barely approaches room temperature.
There needs to be a RICO suit against the tea party. Or a homeland security charge of domestic terrorism, put them in Gitmo.
Memo to the Tea Partiers:
Subject: Why?
1. When the Reds voted YES in 2003 for Prescription drug coverage for MEDICARE Part D when the CBO score said it would ADD to the deficit an additional 394 BILLION dollars.
Where were the tea baggers protesting?
2. When the Reds votee YES in 2003 for Tax Cuts for the rich when the CBO score said it would ADD to the deficit an additional 349 BILLION dollars.
Where were the tea baggers protesting?
3. When the Reds voted YES in 2001 for Tax Cuts when the CBO score said it would ADD to the deficit an additional 1.3 TRILLION?
Where were the tea baggers protesting?
Then a black man was elected as President and now these same cons have had a “Come to Jesus” meeting on “fiscal responsibility” and are sorrowful about “loading years of debt on the backs of our grandbabies“.
1. When the Dems voted FOR health care and every Red voted NO for health care reform in 2010 when the CBO score said it would SUBTRACT 1.3 TRILLION from the deficit.
WHY were the tea bagger protesting?
I thought the Tea Party was for working class Americans AND deficit reduction?
Please forgive us if some of us think the tea bagging movement has NEVER had anything to do with deficit reduction or “smaller government“ spending!
These revised Klansmen are getting violent. There needs to be a counter movement to combat these racist.