A Montana man, Anthony James Cross, 30, of Billings, pleaded guilty in January to making threats to injure and murder a U.S. senator. As part of a plea agreement, a charge that Cross made threats against President Joe Biden was dismissed. U.S. District Court Judge Susan Watters sentenced Cross to 2 1/2 years in prison. Tester’s office has declined to comment on the case.
Threats against public officials have been increasing in recent years, including against members of Congress, their spouses, election workers, and local elected officials. In August 2023, another Montana man, Kevin Patrick Smith of Kalispell, was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for threatening to kill Tester in voicemails left at the senator’s office in Kalispell.
