Ed Morrissey writes for HotAir.com about recent revelations involving an attack on Pennsylvania’s governor.
So much for the “he criticized Democrats” narrative that formed around Cody Balmer. The arsonist targeted Josh Shapiro and his family over perceived slights to “the people of Palestine,” according to police search warrants, as well as Shapiro’s Jewish faith.
The timing of the attack — on Passover — strongly suggested domestic terrorism in the first place. Now police and prosecutors claim they have evidence to back up that assumption, as well as evidence of Balmer’s left-wing extremism … in the familiar form of Che Fever:
The suspected arsonist who allegedly tried to kill Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro decided to firebomb his official residence because of “what he wants to do to the Palestinian people,” according to a search warrant signed by Pennsylvania State Police. …
… What is their evidence? Apparently, it comes from Balmer himself, who called 911 after the attack on the governor’s mansion:
Cody Balmer, the man accused of setting fire to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s residence, allegedly told 911 operators he targeted the governor in part because of his views on the war in Gaza, according to a search warrant obtained by news site PennLive.
The warrant said Balmer called 911 early Sunday morning after the fire at the governor’s residence, and said Shapiro needs to know he “will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people,” according to the PennLive report. …
… [P]olice knew on Sunday that this was a “hate crime” by a radical Palestinian sympathizer.
In fact, that makes this more than a hate crime. It makes this into an act of domestic terrorism — political violence intended to subvert public policy and democratic governance. The state of Pennsylvania may or may not have a statute to charge domestic terrorism, but the federal government certainly does.
