Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) is calling on Attorney General Pam Bondi and the FBI to investigate whether the recent arson attack on Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s home is an antisemitic hate crime under federal law.
In an April 17 letter to Bondi, Schumer cites what he calls the “deeply troubling allegations that the suspect targeted Gov. Shapiro based in part on his religious identity” in requesting “immediate and serious federal scrutiny.”
He wrote that the suspect allegedly set their home on fire, causing extensive damage while Shapiro’s family slept inside.
Schumer, who is Jewish, noted the timing of the attack during Passover and the suspect’s statement to 911 operators that he wanted to send the Pennsylvania leader a message about “what he wants to do to the Palestinian people,” calling the governor “a monster.”
“Our federal authorities must bring the full weight of our civil-rights laws to bear in examining this matter,” the senator wrote. “No person or public official should be targeted because of their faith, and no community should wonder whether such acts will be met with silence.”
He added, “I appreciate your strong condemnation of the attack and urge you to ensure that the federal government does everything in its power to pursue justice and uphold the fundamental values of religious freedom and public safety.”
Bondi told reporters Wednesday that federal authorities are assisting with the state investigation into the arson attack and that she wants the person responsible to be put “behind bars as long as possible.”
“It is absolutely horrific what happened to [Shapiro,]” she said.
Bondi and FBI director Kash Patel have both been in contact with Shapiro.
The suspect, Cody Allen Balmer, of Harrisburg, Pa., is facing charges connected to the attack, which took place early Sunday morning.
Shapiro is also Jewish and was on former Vice President Harris’s shortlist of possible running mates during the 2024 election.
