Florida man arrested for targeting Jewish Rep. Jared Moskowitz, saying suspect was found with anti-Semitic manifesto

Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Jewish Democrat from Florida, said a man arrested for plotting “a possible plot on my life” was found near the congressman's home with an anti-Semitic manifesto.

After a police raid on Nov. 2, the suspect, John Lapinski, 41, was arrested on charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and other firearms-related charges, police told Fox News. He has two prior felony convictions.

“During the investigation, our investigators located multiple firearms and evidence indicating that he may have been planning some type of crime,” the police statement said, adding that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI were involved in the crime investigation.

Moskowitz said in a statement sent to X that Lapinksi was arrested near his home. The congressman said Lapinski was in possession of a rifle, a silencer and body armor, as well as a manifesto that included anti-Semitic language and a “target” list that included only Moskowitz's name.

Moskowitz, who was elected to Congress in 2022 and re-elected last week, wrote: “It is a great honor to serve my constituents, but it has put my family in danger.”

Moskowitz said he was notified of the threat on Nov. 4, the eve of Election Day, by the Margate Police Department in his district in southeast Florida, which includes parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties and is home to a sizeable Jewish population .

“As someone who was appointed to the Donald J. Trump Attempted Assassination Task Force, I understand the failures and the importance of ensuring the protection of our current and future Commander in Chief and Vice President,” Moskowitz wrote. “At the same time, I am very concerned about the safety of members of Congress and the significant lack thereof when we are in the district. No matter our political affiliation or differences, we all have families we want to protect.”

The arrest came about two months after the Justice Department charged two white supremacist leaders with encouraging terrorist attacks against Jews, including a Jewish senator, and other groups. In the run-up to the election, Jewish security authorities warned municipal institutions to beware of threats and violence against Jews. On Election Day, a man was arrested at the US Capitol carrying fuel, various fire-lighting devices and a manifesto denouncing US support for Israel's military operation in Gaza.

Moskowitz, 43, rose to prominence during the pandemic when he served as Florida's emergency management director under Gov. Ron DeSantis. Moskowitz was appointed to the Broward County Commission in 2022 and served until his election to the House of Representatives later that year. He succeeded longtime Rep. Ted Deutch, who left Congress to lead the American Jewish Committee.

Moskowitz has earned a reputation for bipartisanship, and news of the arrest sparked sharp criticism from a number of Republican officials in Florida.

“This is outrageous. Nobody should hurt Jared!” Rep. Matt Gaetz, a prominent Trump ally, tweeted in response to Moskowitz's statement. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna called the threat “disgusting.” Representative Carlos Gimenez said: “This violent anti-Semitic hatred is despicable.”