Man Charged with Threatening, Cyberstalking Oklahoma Representative
KOKH- Miranda Vondale Foster - May 23, 2022 2:33 pm
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — A man known to show up uninvited to political events and trying to get close to politicians was charged with cyberstalking and making threatening statements to a U.S. Representative.
Keith Eisenberger, 39, was charged by Criminal Complaint with threatening to assault, kidnap or murder Rep. Kevin Hern, representative of Oklahoma’s first congressional district, and his family, and charged also with cyberstalking.
The official complaint against Eisenberger alleges that when Hern took office in Nov. 2018, Eisenberger began to make concerning statements that became increasingly more violent over time. He would allegedly make these statements during visits and phone calls to the congressman’s offices in Washington DC, and on social media.
In Jan. 2019, Eisenberger appeared in Washing DC, yelling and demanding to see Hern, according to the complain. He later allegedly told U.S. Capitol Police that he was angry with Hern because he believed Hern had been elected illegally. In the complaint, Eisenberger allegedly told police that he had flown to Washington DC on a one-way ticket and would not be leaving until Hern resigned from his appointed position.
In a social media post from Nov. 9, 2020, Eisenberger once again voiced his anger about the election and suggested that Hern, as well as the State of Oklahoma, deserved to be “federally executed.” Eisenberger went on in the post to say that if the federal execution was not feasible, then the resignation, death or expulsion of Hern would be acceptable.
In another social media post, this time from Oct. 2021, Eisenberger allegedly said he was going to assault Hern, whether it be at a debate or elsewhere.
Investigators go on to allege that in a post Eisenhower made in May 2022, he said he was going to kidnap both Hern and his wife, wishing harm upon the congressman’s family.
For the case to proceed to trial, the United States must present the charge to a federal Grand Jury within 30 days.