W.Va. man arrested for alleged Twitter threats about banning abortion

Jul. 27—CHARLESTON — Law enforcement officials in Kanawha County arrested a 35-year-old man Tuesday who had made threatening posts to lawmakers on the social media platform Twitter.

Michael Edward Herman is in the Potomac Highlands Regional Jail with bond set at $32,012.

According to a press release from the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security, Herman was arrested for making terroristic threats over his public Twitter account against West Virginia elected officials as a result of the pending abortion legislation.

The recipients of the threat include members of the West Virginia Legislature "and all law enforcement officials that advocate for or enforce abortion bans."

Homeland Security officials said Herman's posts "also included intimidating language" focusing on Gov. Jim Justice, Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and Vice President Kamala Harris, "relating to the passage and enforcement of abortion bans."

The investigation involved West Virginia Capitol Police, the WV Fusion Center and the Romney Detachment of the West Virginia State Police, which led to Herman's arrest.

"The Department of Homeland Security and the Governor's Office further appreciate our federal partners, including the Charleston resident office of the Federal Bureau of Investigations," states the W.Va. Homeland Security press release.