Allegheny County Council president Patrick Catena said he and his family received a death threat on Tuesday.
Catena said the threat came in the form of a letter that was brought to their home, not mailed.
He called the act ‘vile’ and ‘disgusting’ at Tuesday night’s council meeting, which he participated in virtually.
Catena chose to abstain from the vote for a bill to prevent County employees from working with federal immigration officers after receiving the threat.
“When someone threatens an elected official and their family in an attempt to influence a vote – this very vote — that crosses a line that should alarm every single person that believes in democracy,” Catena said. “Threats will never decide votes in Allegheny County.”
He said he thought about canceling the meeting, but did not want to empower the person who made the threat.
“Be passionate about your beliefs, protest. That’s all protected. We can go out and protest as much as we want, but why do you choose to threaten someone to influence a vote?” Catena said.
The threat comes less than two weeks after antisemitic messages were broadcast over Pittsburgh emergency radio channels. Mayor Corey O’Connor was the direct target of one of those threats.
Catena could not say much else about the threat because Allegheny County Police are still actively investigating.
“I don’t know where democracy heads if this becomes the new norm. It’s frightening, it really is,” Catena said.
Council voted to pass the bill.
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