Pa. Sen. Doug Mastriano target of threats, part of trend in violent rhetoric against elected officials

• Jordan Wilkie/WITF
  BioRecent Stories

  

  As the democracy reporter for WITF, I will cover any kind of story that has to do with how we govern ourselves. That will include doing a lot of election coverage about how to access the ballot, how public officials administer elections, the technology used to run and secure elections, and the laws that govern it all.
  
  My work will also include accountability coverage for elected officials that use their positions to then undermine democratic institutions, like the legislators that voted against the certification of the presidential election results on January 6, 2021. If that weren’t enough, I foresee covering some local government decisions, fights over public records and transparency, and some candidate coverage in 2024. Many stories can have a “democracy frame” meant to help us all understand how our governments work and how we can shape them.
  
  I’m most looking forward to the community reporting about which WITF is passionate. I’ll be talking to a lot of folks about what they want out of their governments, local to national, and how they want to make their visions reality. I’m excited to meet you and talk, with or without a microphone on hand.
  
  I also like to turn my work phone off. When I do that, I’m looking for rocks to climb, trails to run on (slower and slower, somehow), and new places to visit. I’ve lived in the (extended) South for most of my life, so y’all will hear me say things funny and sometimes my hearing is funny, too, so we’ll figure out this radio thing together.

 Mary Altaffer / AP Photo

Pennsylvania Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano speaks ahead of former President Donald Trump at a rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., on Sept. 3, 2022.

A Franklin County man faces up to 30 years in prison for making online threats against a state senator, his county commissioner and a member of the National Guard. 

Court documents say Richard J. Little II posted threatening messages on his Facebook page in which he described graphic acts of violence, repeatedly referencing an eviction notice he had received on June 10.  

The targets of his threats included state Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Franklin County).  

Little was a sergeant with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and completed his term of service in 2015, according to Wayne Hall, the Guard’s Pa. Public Affairs Officer. 

Little was arrested June 21.  

Law enforcement found 17 firearms in Little’s home. 

Reported threats and harassment against local officials are up 50 percent since 2022, according to the Bridging Divides Initiative, a Princeton University project to track and limit political violence. It says 1 in 3 local elected officials report facing harassment and 1 in 6 report facing threats, with rates increasing over the last two years. 

Sam Jones, communications manager with the initiative, said the available details seem to show Little was motivated by a personal triggering incident — the eviction — rather than political ideology. 

He says improved social health services may help prevent further threats or violence in these kinds of cases.

Mastriano’s office did not return a call or respond by email.

A collection of interviews, photos, and music videos, featuring local musicians who have stopped by the WITF performance studio to share a little discussion and sound. Produced by WITF’s Joe Ulrich.

Learn More