Pennsylvania Arrests Man Over Antisemitic Threats Against Shapiro

Pennsylvania State Police arrested 65-year-old Richard Franklin after authorities said he used an antisemitic slur about Gov. Josh Shapiro and threatened arson against the governor's mansion while seeking tax help at a state representative's Brookhaven office. Reports say the Political Violence Threat Unit interviewed Franklin at his home on Wednesday, and that he admitted using the slur while saying his mansion remarks were sympathetic because Shapiro and his family survived the previous arson. He was charged with terroristic threats, ethnic intimidation, harassment, disorderly conduct and threatening unlawful harm to influence, with bail set at $100,000. The reports note that Shapiro's residence was burned in April 2025 after his family hosted a Passover dinner, with no injuries.