A Pentagon cybersecurity contractor is accused of threatening to kill a congresswoman over a bill requiring public schools to vaccinate children.
According to a criminal complaint, Darryl Varnum of Westminster left a threatening, profanity-laced voicemail for the congress member at her district office on June 26, 2019.
In one part of the message he said, "I will come down there and personally...kill you."
He also said, "I hope the....FBI, CIA, and everybody else hears this..."
While the representative is referred to as United States Congressperson #1 in the criminal complaint, the sponsor of the bill is Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL) and the phone call was made to an office in Florida.
Varnum's tirade was about a bill that Rep. Wilson introduced in May called the Vaccinate All Children Act of 2019.
The bill would require all public schools vaccinate their students to receive federal funds. There is an exemption for students whose doctor certifies vaccines would be harmful to their health.
Shortly after the call was placed to Rep. Wilson's office, Varnum posted about the bill on his Facebook page. The post included a photograph of an American flag and the words "H.R. 2527 Vaccinate All Children Act of 2019." The post compared the bill to the Holocaust.
The criminal complaint also talks about an incident in 2015 when Varnum's wife called the Carroll County Sheriff's Department on her husband to report "behavioral issues." She reported that Varnum was yelling that ISIS fighters were coming to the house to fight him and he had taken out his rifle.
She told deputes her husband owned "numerous guns" and seemed intoxicated. According to the report, Varnum was cooperative and non-violent while talking to deputies. He was taken to the hospital for a mental evaluation.
According to Maryland State Police records, Varnum has one gun registered in his name. He does not have a concealed carry permit or any other firearms licenses.
The complaint said Varnum is employed with Sealing Technologies. He is currently working at the Defense Information Systems Agency as part of a contract with Sealing.
