Hawley’s wife files complaint against organizer of protest outside their home

The wife of Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has filed a criminal complaint against the organizer of a protest outside of their home in Virginia last month. 

Erin Hawley filed the complaint against Patrick Young, an activist and part of the group ShutDownDC, which organized the protest, though Young told ABC News on Friday that he has not yet received the complaint. 

A police spokesperson told ABC News that a local magistrate found “probable cause” to issue a summons to Young. It is not known yet what the probable cause is. 

The complaint was filed in a court in Fairfax County and will be available to the public after Young receives it.

Young has been charged with a misdemeanor count of illegally demonstrating, after police told ShutDownDC at the time that it was illegal to demonstrate outside of the home, ABC reported.

“If a summons has been issued, it is outrageous that a rich and powerful person — a United States senator — can go to their magistrate to get a summons to harass a normal person,” Young said.

The protest happened on Jan. 4, two days before Congress’s certification of the 2020 Electoral College vote, to which Josh Hawley had announced he would object.

However, the senator was still in Missouri so only Erin Hawley and one of their children were in Virginia at the time of the protest. 

He had called out the demonstration on Twitter, saying that the protesters were threatening his family. However, the organizer was not charged with threats. 

The demonstrators were present for approximately 30 minutes, chanting and singing, with three of them going up to the door at one point to drop off a copy of the Constitution. 

The police at the time said that they “didn’t think it was that big of a deal.”

The protesters left the home after the police arrived and told them demonstrating outside of the house was illegal. 

Erin Hawley said she was “frightened” when the protesters were outside, saying they were banging on the door and yelling. 

Josh Hawley has been heavily criticized for pushing the false narrative that former President Trump lost the election due to rampant election fraud, particularly in the wake of the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, which left five people dead.