SEATTLE — A California man accused of threatening U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a charge of threatening a federal official.
Charles Turner Habermann, of Palm Springs, entered his plea in U.S. District Court in Seattle. He was released on a $300,000 bond posted by his mother pending a trial scheduled for April 5.
Habermann, 32, is accused of threatening to kill McDermott in two expletive-laden phone messages left for the Seattle Democrat in December.
According to a criminal complaint unsealed last month, Habermann left phone messages calling McDermott “a piece of (expletive) garbage” and “a communist” after seeing the congressman on television criticizing tax cuts for the wealthy.
Habermann said he had “a lot of money” and “a lot of friends” and threatened to kill McDermott and his family, or pay someone to do it, according to the complaint. McDermott is serving his 12th term.
The case wasn’t a whodunit — Habermann left his name and cell phone number on both messages and was interviewed by FBI agents the next day.
Habermann told investigators he didn’t really mean his threats because he would never risk his $3 million trust fund, according to the criminal complaint.
In court Tuesday, Habermann nodded nervously and replied “yes, your honor” as U.S. Magistrate Judge James Donohue explained his rights and the terms of his release pending trial.
Habermann, represented by attorneys from California and Seattle, had no comment after the hearing, but politely shook hands with reporters covering his case.
William Kopeny, an attorney from Irvine, Calif., said, “It’s too early for me to address the factual issues in the case.”
If convicted, Habermann could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
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