An Illinois man was arrested on terrorism charges for threatening his State Senator in an email. Why is no one talking about it?

Madison County resident Spencer Frymire was charged with terrorism for sending two emails. Is this political persecution?

The case of Spencer Frymire troubles me. It reminds me of the “First they came” poem by Pastor Martin Niemöller. For those unfamiliar, it starts like this: “First they came for the Communists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a Communist.” The poem then moves on to Socialists, trade unionists, and Jews with the same thematic sequence.

The poem then ends in chilling fashion: “Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me.” This line reminds me of all the Americans who continue to stay silent in the face of Donald Trump’s fascism. In the face of ICE violence. In the face of genocide, apartheid and illegal wars overseas.

Many of you have likely not heard of Spencer Frymire before. Here’s the short version: Spencer is a 23-year-old resident of Wood River, Illinois who sent two emails to his Republican State Senator, Erica Harriss, on March 14th. He was arrested on March 17th and charged with one count of making a terrorist threat and a second count of electronic harassment on March 19th. He was subsequently denied pretrial release and remains in the custody of the Madison County Jail.

For those who are wondering, Frymire does not possess a violent criminal past. He has two traffic violations on his record, both for improper lane usage.

Image of Spencer Frymire, provided by family.

The threats and the charges

The topic of political violence is constantly in the news, especially with the recent incident at the White House Correspondents Dinner. Before I go any further, let me make one thing crystal clear: I condemn political violence and threats of political violence. I do not condone the language Frymire used in his emails to Sen. Harriss (R).

Here is how the first email begins: If stealing a nuke killing a president and sponsoring a pedophilia blackmail ring and commiting genocide is okay and legal then I’m going to start killing cops and my local government and it’s employees for their own local tyranny and drive my dirty v8 however I want and maybe commit my own genocide.

Yes… it’s not great. The email is also quite lengthy.

He then allegedly sent a follow-up email to Sen. Harriss. Here is that email in its entirety:

Sorry for the earlier email if you got it I was just being very candid about how the American people feel.

Do the right thing though or the world is against you. BTW, the past several presidents not being impeached for passing laws is cute not to mention all the mayors that like to pass their own laws too. I’m glad the constitution is just meaningless words on paper to you all that you wipe your ass with every day.

If you would like the read the first Frymire email in its entirety, I encourage you to read Cory Davenport’s thorough investigative analysis on the case. Davenport also includes background on Frymire’s life and details a similar case involving a man named Olutosin Oduwole. Oduwole was sentenced to five years in prison before his conviction was overturned.

As I stated above, Frymire was arrested for the content of these emails and charged 48 hours later with one count of making a terrorist threat and a second count of electronic harassment. He continues to sit in Madison County jail, where he was severely beaten by his fellow inmates, according to his parents.

Spencer Frymire with his father. Image provided by the family.

Some background on Spencer Frymire

According to his family, Spencer has previously identified as a Republican and supporter of US President Donald Trump. In his emails, Frymire mentions “a pedophile blackmail ring,” alluding to the Epstein files and Jeffrey Epstein’s connections with Mossad (Israeli intelligence). He also mentions “committing genocide,” alluding to Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

Frymire also sent Sen. Harriss a link to a YouTube video which contains both anti-Israel and antisemitic rhetoric. We at Let’s Address Illinois condemn all forms of hate and bigotry, including Islamophobia and antisemitism. We oppose Israel’s genocide and violations of human rights, but Israel does not represent all Jewish people.

I say all this to say that Spencer Frymire could be a follower of far-right influencer Nick Fuentes (AKA a groyper), based on his rhetoric.

According to Spencer’s mother, Daniele, in October 2024, Spencer was jumped by a man who pinned him against the door of his truck and beat him, breaking Spencer’s orbital socket in the process. Eventually, he received medical care and doctors were able to save his socket with a titanium plate. The man who assaulted him was never found nor punished.

When asked if he struggled with mental illness, Daniele said he showed multiple symptoms of autism and ADHD, commonly abbreviated to AudHD. She said he was unfortunately not able to find affordable and effective treatment in the area (near Wood River). She also stated Spencer is not receiving any mental health treatment while jailed in Madison County.

What makes this case peculiar

I stated at the beginning of this article how this case troubles me. I am not a lawyer, and I do not pretend to be one on TV. I do, however, wonder if the punishment fits the crime? Is it substantiated?

The government is arresting protestors across the country and labeling them as “ANTIFA terrorists” because they oppose fascism. As a reminder, NSPM-7 labels commonly held beliefs at indicators for domestic terrorism.

Last fall, Ken Klippenstein wrote, The Trump administration isn’t only targeting organizations or groups but even individuals and “entities” whom NSPM-7 says can be identified by any of the following “indicia” (indicators) of violence: anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, anti-Christianity, support for the overthrow of the United States Government, extremism on migration, extremism on race, extremism on gender, hostility towards those who hold traditional American views on family, hostility towards those who hold traditional American views on religion, and hostility towards those who hold traditional American views on morality.

Is Spencer another test case for NSPM-7? Here’s a quick list of what I find troubling:

1. The timing. Spencer sent the emails on Saturday, March 14th. He was not arrested until March 17th, which happened to be Election Day in Illinois. He was not charged for 48 hours after his arrest.

2. Lack of real news coverage. Many local papers covered Spencer’s arrest, but each article essentially stated the same thing, reprinting the press release from the State’s Attorney’s Office. Each article quoted the prosecutors and said that Spencer “threatened to kill an Illinois lawmaker, police officers, and local government officials.”

3. The Judge switch. According to Spencer’s parents, the Judge was switched to a new one, who is described as a “far-right” conservative.

4. Pretrial release denial. The new Judge denied Spencer pretrial release because, as the Judge wrote, the “Defendant is being taken at his word.” Spencer is charged with a Class X Felony for allegedly making a terrorist threat, along with a Class 4 Felony for electronic harassment. As I stated earlier, he does not possess a violent criminal record. However, in September 2025 in East Alton, 25-year-old Austin Blair was charged with 11 Class X Felonies after he allegedly called several local businesses as many as 11 times, allegedly threatening mass shootings. Blair received an electronic pretrial release from a Judge.

5. Sen. Harriss’ silence. State Senator Erica Harriss has not responded to any questions nor provided any comments regarding the case.

6. The Lawyers. According to the Frymire family, Spencer’s lawyers failed to visit him in jail until the firm received significant pressure from friends and family members.

Is this a test case for NSPM-7 or a matter of pure incompetence? I will continue to update you all on the status of the Frymire case, as we learn more information.

In solidarity and in service,

Dylan Blaha
State Director, Let’s Address Illinois
Veteran · Scientist · Organizer

Editor’s note: Demerike “Demi” Palecek, the Democratic nominee for IL State House District 13, shared Davenport’s article on her personal Facebook page over the weekend, along with her concerns over Frymire’s treatment in Madison County Jail. Earlier today, Capitol Fax, a publication ran by corporate, establishment Democrats and distributed amongst Illinois political insiders, criticized Palecek, while mischaracterizing her remarks.

When asked for comment, Palecek stated she learned about the case from a childhood acquaintance. “A high school friend reached out, stating ‘as a Republican, I know we don’t agree on much of our stances, but the family has no other recourse, and I didn’t know what else to do.’ The family told me about Spencer’s case, the issues and his lack of assistance - they know I stand up for those who don’t have a voice. I do not condone political violence of any sort, but I do lead with empathy and compassion. As a person on the spectrum, I believe there are many systemic gaps that lead to a lack of support for people with disabilities and mental health disorders. Spencer’s current lack of resources highlights the need for criminal justice reform.”