Virginia State Police and a special prosecutor are investigating threats of violence against two Lynchburg City Council members and a United States congressman from Virginia.
Threats directed toward U.S. 5th Congressional District representative Bob Good, R-Campbell County, and Lynchburg council members Marty Misjuns and Jeff Helgeson, among others, surfaced on social media over the weekend, prompting the investigation. Albemarle County Commonwealth’s Attorney James Hingeley has been appointed as special prosecutor in the investigation, according to the Lynchburg Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.
“The Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Appomattox Field Office and the VSP Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management Unit are currently looking into the threatening nature of specific content posted recently by a Virginia resident on his personal social media platform,” Virginia State Police said in a statement Wednesday. “The posts do identify select elected officials at the local, state and congressional levels. The investigation remains ongoing, in cooperation with a special prosecutor. At this time, no charges have been obtained and no arrest has been made.”
Misjuns, one of five Republicans on the seven-member city council, voiced concerns about the threats in Tuesday afternoon’s work session.
“I don’t know who all is aware of this, but over the weekend, there was actually a call for the execution of myself, council member Helgeson, our congressman and several other folks aligned with us,” Misjuns said during roll call toward the end of the work session. “We don’t need to be doing that as a community. … It’s gone a little too far, and death threats are just not OK.”
A Tuesday night email blast from the Lynchburg Republican City Committee informed the group’s members and supporters of the threats, saying that Lynchburg Police detailed an officer to the committee’s meeting as a precaution.
The email also provided screenshots, with identifying personal information redacted, of the purported threatening posts.
“God’s chosen people!” one read. “I am glad to execute all Moral (immoral) majority members! Absolutely doing God’s will [sic]”
Another said: “that is divine intervention, not murder.! Big difference [sic]”
It isn’t the first case of death threats against officials in Lynchburg in recent weeks. On Dec. 1, WSET-TV reported death threats made against Lynchburg City School Board members after the board rejected a grant from an LGBTQ+ organization that would have gone toward a “safe space” room at E.C. Glass High School.
Misjuns said Wednesday evening that he didn’t know why threats were being directed against him or his colleagues at this particular time, but he did take it as a sign that they were taking the right path in their governance.
“I’m used to being under fire,” Misjuns said. “… If you’re under fire like that, then you’re usually over the target on what you should be doing. You know, it’s important to remain courageous and to do what you’re called to do and to keep your promises no matter what you’re facing.”
Misjuns said he sees his calling, in addition to his Christianity, as a duty to serve and protect his constituents.
“I think that we have an extremely bright and intelligent electorate here in Lynchburg,” he said, “and I don’t think that we should throw spin or propaganda at them. I think if we give people the facts about the inner workings of government and what’s really going on, that they’ll be able to see things for what they are and make informed decisions.”
During Tuesday’s work session, Misjuns was critical of Lynchburg Police for its response to the situation.
“One thing that is kind of also interesting to me is that as an elected official in Lynchburg, why weren’t we notified of [the threats] by our police department?” Misjuns asked.
Misjuns said Wednesday that he had heard nothing from any law enforcement agencies regarding the threats.
This episode is the latest in a saga of controversy among Lynchburg City Council members throughout 2023. Tensions began in January shortly after Republicans took the majority on the council for the first time in more than two decades, seeing Misjuns, Stephanie Reed and Larry Taylor elected to the body. Reed, backed by now-Vice Mayor Chris Faraldi and the two Democrats, won the mayor’s seat by a 4-3 margin, prompting a schism between the pair and the further-right members, Helgeson and Misjuns.
Misjuns has also sued the city’s fire department for wrongful termination, referring to his 2021 dismissal from the department for posting political cartoons about transgender issues on his Facebook page.
Infighting among the factions has been well-documented by Cardinal News, the overtones of which seem to continue. The council voted 5-2 to censure Misjuns at its Nov. 28 meeting for his conduct; Misjuns and Helgeson were the dissenting votes. The tension continued in Tuesday’s work session, highlighted by Faraldi’s comments following Misjuns’ during roll call.
“A lot of things have gone too far,” the vice mayor said. “To use Councilmember Misjuns’ term, Madam Mayor. I would simply say that to the degree of going after someone’s work history on both sides of this topic, whether you used to work for the city and are now suing them [Misjuns] or if you used to work for the state and are now a Realtor [Faraldi] . . . I don’t think it’s appropriate in any of those considerations, any of those topics, for us to use that as political capital to go after each other. So I want to make that clear,” Faraldi added with a long look across the chamber toward Misjuns.
Lynchburg City Council will hold its next meeting Jan. 9.