PA man imprisoned for death threat against Eric Swalwell announces run for Congress

A man who left a message threatening to kill Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-California) and his staff with AR-15 rifles is now seeking to become Swalwell's colleague in the US House of Representatives.

According to journalist Katherine Swartz, 23-year-old Joshua Hall of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania — who was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison in 2022 for making threats to kill a member of the United States Congress — filed his official candidacy papers with the Federal Election Commission on Friday evening.

"I deserve a second chance as anybody does, and I still want to be able to make a positive impact," Hall said, who is on probation through 2026.

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In an interview with Swartz, Rep. Swalwell responded to Hall's campaign announcement, saying "it is absurd that someone who threatened to use his assault rifle to kill me spent just over a year in jail is now free from prison."

"Non-violent drug offenders are serving longer sentences," Swalwell added. "Though, I am encouraged to see Mr. Hall is apparently choosing to use voting rather than violence to make his political points."

A Department of Justice press release published after Hall's sentencing summarized the death threat. In August of 2022, Hall called Swalwell's California office and told a staffer "he had a lot of AR-15s; that he wanted to shoot the Congressman; that he intended to come to the Congressman’s office with firearms; and that if he saw the Congressman, he would kill him. He further stated, in substance and in part, that he wanted to 'beat the s--- out of' the Congressman and that he would find the Congressman wherever he was and hurt him."

Hall was also sentenced on one count of fraud, in which he created a fake political organization and impersonated former President Donald Trump's family members in an attempt to fundraise off of Trump's supporters. The social media accounts he made as part of the scheme amassed more than 100,000 followers, and he reportedly raised approximately $7,000 to buy alcohol and fund his living expenses.

READ MORE: 'Come and kill your children': Florida man arrested for threatening Democratic congressman