UNDATED (WJON News) - Minnesota Congresswoman Angie Craig has released some of the emails and voicemails left at her office after she was attacked earlier this month.

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The Attack:

On February 9th, at about 7:15 a.m., police reports say Craig came upon a man in her apartment’s lobby that appeared to be acting erratic. The assailant followed her into the elevator and reportedly started doing pushups. The man later punched Craig in the chin and grabbed her neck before the congresswoman threw a cup of coffee at him.

Craig called the police and continued on to work. She told reporters she “had a bad morning” but did not go into detail.

Once the attack became public, President Biden called to express his concern, and Senator Amy Klobuchar brought Craig beer.

The Aftermath:

Following the attack, Fox News’s “The Five” program brought up the incident on air. Using opposition research from the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), reporters attempted to tie the attack to the “defund the police” movement.

Fox News host Jeanine Pirro appeared to approve of the attack.

Now that the congresswoman has been victimized, now she feels your pain? Nonsense. And for those who say ‘at least now she’s on our side.’ Baloney. You’ve done your damage, stick with it,”

Craig’s office says the congresswoman has always supported police, does not support defunding them, and received the endorsement of several county sheriffs during her last re-election run.

Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association Executive Director Brian Peters and General Counsel Imran Ali responded to the messages.

The recent threats made to Representative Angie Craig after her unprovoked assault are troubling and unacceptable. Representative Craig has been a strong advocate for the rule of law and has been an ardent supporter for Minnesota law enforcement. While differing views are encouraged and allow for thoughtful discourse – they should not result in vitriol and threatening behavior.

The Calls Come In:

In the days that followed, Craig’s office received several emails and voicemails. Due to the aggressive nature of some of the calls, they have been turned over to Capitol Police.

Some of the voicemails:

  • Finally this piece of (expletive) gets accosted. … You deserved it.
  • I hope it happens to you again, because you deserve it. And don’t call the police for help.
  • I'm listening to your story on 'The Five.' So, you got attacked, huh? In Minnesota? Well that's what you get for turning that what, five or six-time felon, crack-smoking, fentanyl-eating, counterfeit money-passing, armed robber holding guns on fetuses, (expletive) (George) Floyd as a public hero.
  • In another message, the caller mentioned watching coverage of Craig's attack on the Fox News program The Five. The caller went on to say Craig should be violently sexually assaulted.

Laura Cottrell, Angie Craig’s Communication Director, issued this statement after releasing some of the messages.

The messages and threats received by Rep. Craig's office following the NRCC hit job and Fox News' false and inflammatory coverage of her assault represent the worst of our society. We are sharing these difficult messages to help everyone understand the impact of this careless rhetoric and what happens after these reckless political attacks. It's dangerous. It's gutter politics at its worst.

Fox News Under the Microscope:

The emails brought attention to a continuing investigation of Fox News after a lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems, the manufacturer of voting machines used in the 2020 election.

Dominion Voting Systems, a leading provider of election equipment and software, has filed a lawsuit against Fox News alleging that the network spread false claims and defamed the company in its reporting on the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.

In the lawsuit, Dominion alleges that Fox News spread false information and conspiracy theories about the company's equipment and software being used to "steal" the election in favor of Joe Biden. The company claims that this reporting has led to significant financial losses and damage to its reputation.

Fox News has denied the allegations and stated that it will vigorously defend itself against the lawsuit. The network has also been named in similar lawsuits filed by Dominion against other media organizations and individuals.

The outcome of this lawsuit is yet to be determined and will likely involve a lengthy legal process.

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