Rep. John Carter (R-Texas) posted a picture of the door to his Georgetown, Texas, office on social media Monday, which he said “unhinged anti-Israel activists vandalized.”
The picture shows the door splashed with blood-red paint and “Free Gaza” in the same color painted on the concrete in front of the door.
Police were dispatched in response to a possible burglary at the representative’s office early Monday morning, according to a statement from the Georgetown Police Department.
According to the statement, Georgetown police are “actively working an investigation” and plan to level a misdemeanor charge of criminal mischief against whoever is found responsible for the incident. Carter’s office has apparently estimated the damages to around $2,000.
“Let me make 2 things clear,” Carter said in the post accompanying the picture of the scene, “my support for Israel is unwavering & your intimidation won’t work. Secondly, the parties responsible will be found & will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The scene at Carter’s office comes a few months after Rep. Adam Smith’s (D-Wash.) home in Bellevue, Wash., was vandalized in a demonstration opposing the war in Gaza.
“Last night, my house was vandalized by people advocating for a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza,” Smith said in a press release, the day after the reported vandalization.
“This attack is sadly reflective of the coarsening of the political discourse in our country, and is completely unwarranted, unnecessary, and harmful to our political system.”
Emily Taylor, senior adviser at Carter’s office, told The Hill that the incident won’t intimidate Carter or his staff.
“Congressman Carter and his staff will not be intimidated, so whoever perpetrated this attack has failed in their mission,” Taylor told The Hill.
“Representative Carter stands firm in his support for Israel and acts of political destruction won’t be tolerated. Our staff’s safety is paramount and we’ve been in communication with local and Capitol police to ensure our office is a safe place to serve our constituent,” she said.