Don T.:

Justice Department investigating death threats against Republican senators, representatives

Madison --Seventeen Republican Senators in addition to Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald received the email threat that stated they should put their "things in order because you will be killed and your families also will be killed."

The email, which in the subject said "Atten: Death threat!!!! Bomb!!!!," was sent at 9:18 p.m. Wednesday, after the Senate, with Democrats absent, voted to eliminate most collective bargaining provisions for most public workers.

In addition, all of the Assembly Republicans, including Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald, received an email death threat about 10:30 Wednesday night, said John Jagler, a spokesman for Jeff Fitzgerald. That email stated "Vote no and save your life."

Jagler said the threat talked about shooting the representative and planting bombs in places he frequented.

The state's Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating the email threat against the senators and several other threats from a variety of sources, said Bill Cosh, a spokesman for the Department of Justice.

Cosh said Thursday he was not at liberty to say anything more about the threats and investigation.

Andrew Welhouse, a spokesman for Scott Fitzgerald, said the email threat was turned over to Capitol Police, who also are investigating.

The senators who received the email death threat are Fitzgerald of Juneau, Robert Cowles of Green Bay, Alberta Darling of River Hills, Michael Ellis of Neenah, Pam Galloway of Wausau, Glenn Grothman of West Bend, Sheila Harsdorf of River Falls, Randy Hopper of Fond du Lac, Neal Kedzie of Elkhorn, Frank Lasee of De Pere, Dan Kapanke of La Crosse, Mary Lazich of New Berlin, Joe Liebham of Sheboygan, Terry Moulton of Chippewa Falls, Luther Olsen of Ripon, Leah Vukmir of Wauwatosa, Van Wanggaard of Racine and Rich Zipperer of the City of Pewaukee.

Kapanke also received a separate "disturbing" email that threatened his life on Wednesday night after the vote, a staff member said.

The aide said Capitol Police and La Crosse police were immediately notified.

Tim Donovan, a spokesman for the Department of Administration and Capitol Police, had no immediate comment Thursday morning.

Welhouse on Thursday provided to the Journal Sentinel a copy of the text of the e-mail, but would not provide the email address or name of the sender.

"We have received several more threats over the past few weeks as well, and protesters have actually gone so far as to go up to (Fitzgerald's) house and bang on the windows at 6 a.m. demanding that he come out," Welhouse said.

Here's an excerpt of the email provided by Welhouse:

"This is how it's going to happen: I as well as many others know where you and your family live, it's a matter of public records. We have all planned to assault (sic) you by arriving at your house and putting a nice little bullet in your head. However, this isn't enough. We also have decided that this may not be enough to send the message. So we have built several bombs that we have placed in various locations around the areas in which we know that you frequent…"

The threat against Kapanke stated:

"We will hunt you down. We will slit your throats. We will drink your blood. I will have your decapitated head on a pike in the Madison town square. This is your last warning."

Kapanke's aide also would not provide the emailer's address or name. The email was referred to Capitol Police, who are investigating, the aide said.