A woman who was arrested earlier this month has been indicted after federal prosecutors say she sent a bomb threat to the Democrats’ campaign headquarters in Athens, where she was employed as a security guard, ahead of the runoff election for Georgia’s U.S. Senate seat.
Jessica Diane Higginbotham, 35, of Elberton, was indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday on one count each of communicating a bomb threat and making false statements, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia announced. Higginbotham was arrested by local authorities and booked into the Athens-Clarke County Jail on Dec. 4 on one count of making terroristic threats, a state charge.
According to the Red & Black, an independent student newspaper serving the University of Georgia, a spokesman for the Athens-Clarke police said Higginbotham worked as a security guard for the campaign office she allegedly threatened.
If found guilty, Higginbotham could face maximum penalties of 15 years in federal prison and fines of up to $500,000, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Higginbotham is accused of making a bomb threat to the Athens-Clarke County Democratic Committee campaign building on Dec. 3, federal officials said. According to the indictment, she lied to federal agents the following day when she told them she didn’t know about the email address or a texting app used in connection with the threat. The email address belonged to her and the texting app was found on her phone, federal officials said.
The threats were made ahead of Georgia’s Dec. 6 runoff election for the U.S. Senate seat held by Rev. Raphael Warnock. The incumbent senator was forced into a runoff against Republican challenger Herschel Walker when neither candidate won more than 50% of the statewide vote during November’s general election.
Clarke County has traditionally been a Democratic stronghold and Warnock ultimately carried the county with nearly 74% of the runoff vote.
The case was investigated by the FBI and U.S. Capitol Police along with local authorities, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Higginbotham remains in jail without bond, online records show.
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