Tamarac man pleads guilty to threatening Democratic members of Congress

John Kless, 49, left threatening voicemails to Swalwell, Tlaib, Booker

TAMARAC, Fla. – A South Florida man has pleaded guilty to leaving threatening rants about gun control, illegal immigration, homosexuals, black people and Muslims for three Democratic members of Congress.

Federal prosecutors said John Kless pleaded guilty Tuesday to making threatening communications. He faces up to five years in prison at his Aug. 20 sentencing.

The 49-year-old left the threatening messages in April at the offices of U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-California, U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Michigan, and U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey.


Below are excerpts of the threats Kless made to Swalwell:

"F--- you, Eric c---sucker."

"Y'all mother---ers don't give a f--- about 9/11 or all the illegals coming in or all the n---ers on f--ing welfare, but all you f---ing care about is taking guns. B----, you're gonna f---ing pay for that s---, n---er. You're gonna die."

"You'll be your death bed motherf---er, along with all the rest of you Democrats. So if you want death, keep that s--- up, mother---er."

"Eat s---, Democrat s---. Communist f--- bag."


Below are excerpts of the threats Kless made to Tlaib:

"Hey Taliban. You got f---ing nerve, bitch. Tell your Taliban friend to shut the f--- up about 9/11. This ain't (President Donald) Trump's fault, b----. It's all your people's fault. You're the mother---ers who drove the planes into the buildings, b----."

"'Cuz the day when the bell tolls, whore, and this country comes to a war, there will be no more threats. Your life will be on the f---ing line. All of you."

"You're an abomination, just like faggots, mother---er."

"F--- off. I wish all of you the worst. You can go f--- off in life. F--- you and f--- Mohammed, too."


Below are excerpts of the threats Kless made to Booker:

"You're a f---ing disgrace. We need to kill all you motherf---ers, man, every f---ing one of you, man."

"You dumb f---ing n---er. Shut the f--- up. Shut up about 9/11 and shut the (unintelligible) and tell that mother---ing towel head to shut the f--- up. We're going to have a war in this country mother---ers. You're going to be the mother---ers that pay. Don't you worry, you government officials will be in the graves where you f---ing belong. And all you black mother---ers want to join these f---ing Muslims, go right ahead."

"Tell your f---ing colleague with the towel on her head to shut the f--- up about 9/11, you f---ing monkey."


U.S. Capitol police said Kless also made profane and harassing calls to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-California, in February "concerning Congress taking away his guns, abortion, illegal immigration and Muslims in Congress."

Swalwell and Booker have announced they will seek the Democratic nomination for president in 2020.

Broward County voter records show that Kless is registered to vote as an independent.