A woman who allegedly sent a threatening letter to Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, during contentious Supreme Court hearings last fall, was arrested last Friday, the U.S. attorney’s office said Monday.
Suzanne Muscara, a 37-year-old from Burlington, Maine, was charged with mailing a “threatening communication” to Collins’ home in Bangor, Maine.
The letter’s author, which was sent last October, claimed its contents contained the poison ricin, and a hazardous materials team had to be called to the senator’s house.
The threat came after Collins cast one of the deciding votes in favor of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh who had been accused by Christine Blasey Ford of sexually assaulting her in an explosive hearing last fall.
Collins’ husband, Thomas Daffron who opened the letter, said the letter specifically mentioned her vote for Kavanaugh.
“I will not live in fear. I will not be intimidated. I’m going to continue to do what I think is right for the people of the state whom I work very hard for, and for our nation,” Collins said in October after receiving multiple death threats over her Kavanaugh vote.
Collins’ communications director Annie Clark responded to a request for comment about the arrest Monday, stating, “Sen. Collins and Mr. Daffron greatly appreciate the extraordinary efforts made by state and federal law enforcement agencies which culminated in an arrest in this case.”
[Related: Susan Collins describes harassment leading up to Kavanaugh vote]
