Attorney general in US state of Michigan says she was target of anti-Semitic murder plot

WASHINGTON

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said Thursday she was the target of a "heavily armed" man who threatened to kill Jewish state government officials.

"The FBI has confirmed I was a target of the heavily armed defendant in this matter. It is my sincere hope that the federal authorities take this offense just as seriously as my Hate Crimes & Domestic Terrorism Unit takes plots to murder elected officials," Nessel wrote on Twitter.

According to court documents, Jack Eugene Carpenter tweeted Feb. 17, "I'm heading back to Michigan now threatening to carry out the punishment of death to anyone that is jewish in the Michigan govt if they don't leave, or confess, and now that kind of problem."

"Because I can Legally do that, right?" he asked, according to a criminal complaint filed Feb. 18, but unsealed on Tuesday.

The document said Carpenter's mother told investigators that her son had three handguns, a 12-gauge shotgun and two rifles, including an M1A military-style semi-automatic rifle. She further confirmed that her son was the person who posted the threatening tweets.

Carpenter made an initial appearance in federal court in Texas on Wednesday. Charges have yet to be filed, according to the federal records database.

The next court hearing is scheduled for Friday in Michigan.