Police have arrested a Virginia Beach, Virginia man for threatening the life of Rep. Scott Taylor (R-Va.) and two of his staffers. Wallace Grove Godwin, 69, visited Taylor’s office on Thursday and threatened to shoot him and two staffers at an upcoming Saturday event.
Evidently, he is not happy that the federal government not enforcing laws against marijuana. He had a previous run-in with Taylor at Taylor’s home. he pulled up into the driveway and blocked Taylor’s car. He demanded to talk about marijuana.
Finally, Taylor ordered him off from his property and Godwin left without incident.
Godwin told staffers:
“Scott is having an event this Saturday. I am going to get my shotgun and do something about this. I will just handle this myself. You two are next.”
Gowdin is expected to appear in a federal courthouse in Norfolk, Va. on Friday afternoon. The maximum penalty for threatening a member of Congress is 10 years in prison.
Lawmakers have clamored for more funding for personal security over the last year amid increased hostility at local events — and especially after last year’s baseball practice shooting that left House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) gravely wounded.
Gowdin was also reported to the Capitol Police in March 2017 after visiting Taylor’s Virginia Beach office and berating staff.
“The Congressman left his residence and told GODWIN to move his vehicle. GODWIN then exited the vehicle to speak to the Congressman about marijuana policy,” according to the officer’s affidavit. “The Congressman told GODWIN to leave and GODWIN left the residence without further incident.”
Godwin obviously doesn’t know that Congress passed laws against marijuana since 1970. Enforcement of those laws lies with the Executive branch. Obama didn’t enforce the laws and it appears Trump won’t either.
It is being handled as a state issue and the federal government has handed off the writing of laws and enforcement to the states with the exception of busts of pot for sale illegally between states.