O’Rourke campaign takes threat by Kan. soldier seriously

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on an Army soldier from Fort Riley accused of sharing bomb-making instructions online and targeting left-leaning activists (all times local):

O’Rourke at a campaign event in Oklahoma last month photo courtesy O’Rourke for president campaign

The presidential campaign of former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke says it is in direct contact with the FBI regarding the case of an Army soldier accused of sharing bomb-making instructions online and targeting left-leaning activists.

When an FBI undercover agent asked Jarrett William Smith if there was anyone in Texas who would be a good fit for “fire, destruction and death,” Smith reportedly replied, “Outside of Beto? I don’t know enough people that would be relevant enough to cause a change if they died.”

O’Rourke spokeswoman Aleigha Cavalier said in an emailed statement that they take any threat like this very seriously. The campaign says this isn’t about any one person or one campaign, and they “won’t let this scare us or cause us to back down in fighting for what’s right.”

The 24-year-old soldier was stationed at Fort Riley in Kansas.