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Bailey reacts, blames Pritzker for death threats made against him by Chicago suspect
A 21-year-old Chicago man is facing charges after police say he left a death threat on a voicemail for Gubernatorial GOP hopeful Darren Bailey.
CHICAGO - A 21-year-old Chicago man is facing charges after police say he left a death threat on a voicemail for Gubernatorial GOP hopeful Darren Bailey.
State Senator Darren Bailey says it is the political rhetoric from Governor JB Pritzker that has helped create this kind of hatred.
"You can threaten me, that’s one thing but when you bring my wife, children and schoolchildren in the area into it, it was pretty vulgar," said Bailey.
Scott Lennox is being held on a $75,000 bond and will be placed on electronic monitoring. He is facing three felony counts, including threatening a public official, telephone harassment and harassment by electronic communications.
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On Wednesday, prosecutors said in court that Lennox became agitated inside a Chicago bar last Friday night over political TV ads. He then allegedly called Bailey’s Springfield office and left a violent voicemail.
Prosecutors say it included these statements: "I’m going to skin Darren Bailey alive" and "If he doesn’t kill himself, I will. I know where he lives. I know where he sleeps. I know where his kids sleep."
"The officer stated that in the eight years of doing this, he had never heard anything this concerning," Bailey told FOX 32 Chicago.
Police found Lennox and arrested him Sunday night at his Lake View East condo. He admitted to police he made the call and showed them other social media messages to friends where he referred to himself as a "political terrorist."
The Republican nominee says this hostility is his opponent’s fault.
"The divisiveness that JB Pritzker has created in our state over the last four years — the hatred that exists," said Bailey.
Governor Pritzker denounced the situation tweeting, "The violent rhetoric and division we're seeing across our country is unacceptable. Hatred in any form has no home in Illinois."
Bailey also pointed to the controversial SAFE-T Act and what will happen, if this happens again.
"After Jan. 1, public officials can be threatened and not a lot can be done about it," said Bailey.
The judge also barred Lennox from making contact with Bailey, his family or employees.