Butts County, Georgia

Authorities say a Buffalo, New York man has been charged after threatening to kill Republican Rep. Mike Collins and his son-in-law. The Butts County Sheriff's Office in Georgia identified the suspect as Anthony Lantrell Bennett, who officials say admitted to sending the threatening message.

Georgia investigators traveled to Buffalo to arrest Bennett, who faces two counts of terroristic threats. Collins has represented Georgia's 10th Congressional District, covering areas outside Atlanta, since 2023 and is currently running for U.S. Senate against incumbent Democrat Jon Ossoff in one of the most closely watched races of the cycle. The incident adds to a pattern of threats against political candidates amid heightened tensions in a competitive Senate contest that could help determine partisan control of the chamber.

Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts is facing calls to resign after being accused of groping a teenage cheerleader while posing for a photo at a city hall community event this week. His office has denied any misconduct, but the incident has renewed scrutiny of a long history of allegations against him that have never resulted in criminal charges or removal from office.

Past claims include a 1993 criminal referral, later dropped for insufficient evidence, alleging he molested his young daughter and choked his then-wife unconscious, which Butts denied. A 2021 wrongful termination lawsuit from a former executive assistant, with whom he had a relationship, alleged workplace sexual demands and stalking after the relationship ended; the case was later dismissed on procedural grounds. He also faced scrutiny over a 2012 contract awarded to a company that had hired his brother, and a retaliation dispute with the city's former treasurer that reached the California Supreme Court, which sided with the city. Butts has not directly addressed the latest allegation.