BEAUMONT, Texas — Texas Department of Public Safety troopers are investigating after a pair of men were accused of accosting the wife of Texas State Representative Dade Phelan at their Beaumont home Monday night.
The two men posed as door knockers on behalf of Phelan's campaign when they came to the door of his home Monday evening according to Phelan's spokesperson Cait Wittman.
State troopers are investigating the alleged threat according to DPS spokesperson, Sgt. Shana Clark.
The two men knocked on the door at Phelan's home and confronted his wife, Kim and made "baseless claims related to the ongoing campaign," according to Wittman.
Saying this was not a gag, Wittman described the incident as "extreme political harassment."
When DPS arrived at Phelan's house, the men had already left the scene, DPS said in a news release.
No arrests have been made yet, according to DPS
Wittman also said the incident was "part of a disturbing pattern" and mentioned the recent arrest of an Orange County man who was arrested for making a terroristic threat against Phelan. She described the man as an "outspoken David Covey supporter."
RELATED: Orange County man arrested, charged with making terroristic threat against Speaker Dade Phelan
Daniel Leblanc, 44, was arrested in Bridge City in January 2024 and charged with making a terroristic threat which is a felony offense after troopers said he made a terroristic threat against Phelan on multiple social media platforms.
“The persistence of these imposters on the speaker’s property compelled the intervention of law enforcement, and Speaker Phelan and his family are grateful for their swift and effective response," Wittman said of the Monday night incident.
Covey, another candidate, also responded to the incident saying he and his team had no knowledge or involvement in what happened.
"Harassment and threats have no place in politics. My campaign is about promoting conservative policies and restoring true representation to Southeast Texas. The volunteers associated with my campaign believe in our goals and treat prospective voters with the utmost respect. We will continue engaging with voters in a way consistent with our Southeast Texas values," Covey said.
From a DPS news release:
On Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Troopers assisted the Beaumont Police Department (BPD) with an incident at House Speaker Dade Phelan’s residence. The incident involved trespassers who initially refused to leave the property. When Troopers arrived shortly after the call, the trespassers had left the scene. DPS takes all matters of personal security and public safety very seriously and we continue to work with the Speaker and his staff to address any additional concerns. At this time, no arrests have been made related to Monday’s incident and no additional information is available. For questions related to BPD’s response, we would refer you there.
This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.
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