The home of Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows was swatted Friday evening, police confirmed.

Bellows said a false emergency call resulted in a strong police response to her residence.

According to Fox News, “Maine State Police responded after an unidentified man lied about having broken into the house.”

The swatting follows Bellows unilaterally removing Donald Trump from Maine’s presidential primary ballot.

Bellows and her family were not home at the time of the hoax call.

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POLITICO reports:

“Many of you have asked if Brandon and I are safe,” Bellows wrote. “We are away for the holiday weekend. We were not home yesterday when threats escalated, and our home address was posted online. It was a good thing because our home was swatted last night,” she added.

Maine State Police said an unknown male called a regional communication center Friday evening saying that he had broken into a home in the Augusta area, according to local station WGME13. Police confirmed the home as Bellows’. Officers found the home empty, and an investigation remains ongoing.

At least three Republican members of Congress have said they were the target of swatting incidents this week: Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), and Rep. Brandon Williams (R-N.Y.). No one was harmed in the incidents.

Such episodes have also affected numerous state and local officials both Republican and Democratic, and come amid increasing concern for the security of politicians and lawmakers in an era of heightened partisanship ahead of the 2024 elections.

“This behavior is unacceptable. The non-stop threatening communications the people who work for me endured all day yesterday is unacceptable. It’s designed to scare not only me but also others into silence, to send a message. I am so grateful to have such an amazing team of employees at the Department of Secretary of State. Brandon and I are grateful for incredible, dedicated support from law enforcement in this time,” Bellows stated on Facebook.

“I know from my previous work that dehumanizing a person is the first step in paving the way for attacks and violence against them. These dehumanizing images and threatening communications directed at me and people I love are dangerous. We should be able to agree to disagree on important issues without threats and violence,” she continued.

Daily Caller added:

Maine became the second state on Thursday to kick Trump off of the state’s primary GOP ballot, alleging that the former president violated the 14th Amendment’s insurrectionist ban. Since the decision from Bellows, the secretary has faced backlash from both Republicans and Democrats questioning the reasoning behind kicking off the former president.

While Colorado was the first state to make the move, the state’s secretary of state has since moved Trump back onto the ballot following an appeal from Colorado’s Republican Party.

State police have not identified the caller behind the incident, stating that the investigation is still ongoing and authorities are working with law enforcement partners “to provide special attention to any and all appropriate locations,” according to NBC News.

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