PORTLAND, Ore.—A Woodburn, Oregon, man made his initial appearance today after threatening to kill a United States Senator.
Donald Leroy Smith, Jr., 51, has been charged by information with threatening a federal official with the intent to intimidate that official for the performance of official duties.
According to court documents, on November 12, 2025, Smith left a voicemail for a U.S. Senator stating he was “coming to kill you,” that “you need to be dead,” and that he was going to “put a bullet in your head.”
Smith made his first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate judge. He was ordered released pending further court proceedings.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case with assistance from United States Capitol Police, United States Secret Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, Oregon State Police, and the Woodburn Police Department. First Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. Narus and Assistant U.S. Attorney James A. Kilcup are prosecuting the case.
An information is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. # # #
