**Connecticut Democratic Representatives Targeted by Bomb Threats on Thanksgiving**

At least four Democratic representatives from Connecticut, while celebrating Thanksgiving with their families, revealed they were subjected to bomb threats on Thursday. Reps. Joe Courtney, Jim Himes, John Larson, and Jahana Hayes each issued statements about the threats, which led to intervention from law enforcement. Fortunately, investigations did not uncover any bombs, and the lawmakers confirmed the safety of their families.

These alarming incidents come shortly after several of President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet appointees faced similar threats, which Trump's transition team described as "violent and unAmerican threats to their lives." According to a source knowledgeable about the recent threats, such incidents have been increasingly common for lawmakers over the past few years.

Members of law enforcement told CNN that many of these threats often originate from overseas individuals using scripts to produce various threats, done sometimes for attention and entertainment. In light of the events, CNN reached out to the US Capitol Police and local law enforcement about the situation involving the Democratic representatives.

In their statements on Thursday, Himes, Courtney, and Hayes denounced political violence and the nature of these threats. Himes, who is the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, highlighted the importance of peace and civility during the holiday season. Larson expressed gratitude that his fellow Connecticut delegation members who faced similar threats were also unharmed.

The FBI issued a statement on Wednesday acknowledging "numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents" against incoming administration nominees and appointees. The agency is collaborating with other law enforcement bodies and encouraged the public to promptly report any suspicious activities.

Andrew McCabe, a former FBI deputy director and current CNN contributor, noted that such threats have unfortunately become a common issue for high-profile or controversial figures. McCabe emphasized the necessity for law enforcement to respond to these threats, even if the majority are likely to be false alarms, to avoid the dire consequence of missing a genuine threat.

Swatting, identified as a criminal hoax, involves falsely reporting serious crimes like mass shootings or bomb threats to incite a heavy police presence at a targeted location. The charged political climate has seen such threats aimed at individuals across a wide range of ideologies, including Special Counsel Jack Smith and Judge Tanya Chutkan, both previously targeted in similar incidents.