Assassination Plot Probe: Details Emerge in Case Against Texas Lawmaker

A 17-year-old from McKinney is accused by federal authorities of plotting to assassinate Representative Keith Self, a Republican who represents Texas' third congressional district. The allegation, confirmed by Self's campaign officials, describes a plan involving a specific public event the congressman was scheduled to attend.

The campaign's timeline indicates the arrest by the FBI occurred on October 5. The following day, October 6, the congressman's team was notified of the arrest through U.S. Capitol Police. According to the campaign, investigators believed the teen had been radicalized and was under federal monitoring, with plans to carry out an attack for ISIS at a chili cook-off fundraiser for veterans scheduled for October 17. That event was set to include former Dallas Cowboys players and other high-profile guests.

When asked about the matter on October 22, Self confirmed that it became serious enough for him to increase his awareness and security as early voting continues across the state. He stated that his team responded to the threats by becoming more vigilant. "So at that point we upped our profile and we're a little more aware, although I had plenty of security," he said. "So we did change our situational awareness around us." The congressman told NBC 5 his previous military experience helped shape how he responded to the news.

Having deployed into combat zones several times, Self said he was not as alarmed by the news as others might be. "I'm happy it happened to me because people that have never dealt with this before tend to freak out when somebody tells you that somebody's trying to kill you," he explained. "But in my case, it was a little more calm. I understood since the arrest had already taken place, we just needed to be aware of was he a lone wolf or not. So, we took that seriously. But it was not as a traumatic for me as it might have been for some of my colleagues." He noted that his wife, who spent 25 years as a military spouse, understood the potential risks involved. "My wife was a military wife for 25 years. She sent me off several times and so she's taking it very seriously as well," Self said.

Self said he has received threats before, but nothing has risen to the level of an arrest. "We knew there were threats, but nothing has risen to the level of an arrest," he said. "That's what makes this different. And frankly, the seriousness of it, we understand it could have been a very serious incident from what we've been told." Despite the alleged threat, Self told NBC 5 he attended the event as planned. "I judged 19 different chilies and three different pots of beans," he said. "It was a delightful time and nothing, of course, happened."

The congressman said he has continued campaigning as well. "We continued our activities and just watched what was going on around us. I've been out poll greeting this morning. And every day I've been out poll greeting, meeting voters. So we're going to continue to go," he said. "This will not deter me from what I think I need to be doing to alert the American people to this political ideology. So it won't deter me. We will continue to do our job." The arrest comes as Rep. Self has taken a prominent stance against Sharia law. In September, he introduced a nonbinding concurrent resolution denouncing Sharia law and opposing its implementation in the United States. His resolution says the U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of the land. The congressman's district also includes McKinney, where debate surrounding plans for a new mosque has drawn considerable attention. In August, the McKinney City Council unanimously approved a site plan for expansion at a local mosque, saying the plans complied with the city's development rules. The vote followed hours of contentious public comment and was later followed by an effort to recall several council members.

Evan Hunt, Self's opponent in the midterm election, also condemned the alleged assassination plot in a post on social media. The teen's identity has not been publicly released as the investigation continues. The FBI Dallas office has not yet responded to requests for more information.