DENVER, Colorado (AFP) — US authorities said Tuesday they had found no evidence of a plot to assassinate Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama following the arrest of three men and seizure of a weapons haul.
US Attorney Troy Eid told a press conference that following an exhaustive investigation officials were satisfied that the arrested men were all drug abusers who did not pose a credible threat to Obama.
"Let me be clear: we've conducted an intensive investigation, chased down numerous leads and carefully reviewed the evidence to date," Eid said.
"It is a very serious federal crime to threaten a presidential candidate. In this case, however, there is insufficient evidence at this time to indicate a true threat, plot or conspiracy against Senator Obama."
The three men were arrested after routine traffic stop uncovered wigs, two hunting rifles, body armor and drug-making equipment on Sunday, the eve of the Democratic Party's four-day-long national convention here which is to end by officially naming Obama the party's presidential nominee.
Eid said that the men had made threats and racist comments about Obama during questioning.
However, he said it was important to make a distinction between the "racist rantings" of habitual drug users and a credible, carefully planned attempt on Obama's life during the convention.
"Reported threats, hateful and bigoted though they were, involved a group of meth heads, methamphetamine abusers, all of whom were impaired at the time and they cannot independently corroborated," Eid said.
"The evidence involving alleged threats does not warrant federal charges. But the investigation is ongoing and we are keeping an open mind."
The incident was the latest somber reminder of security risks faced by presidential hopefuls, and anxieties felt by many supporters for Obama, who was offered Secret Service protection earlier in the presidential campaign than any other candidate.
Denver police had earlier downplayed the seriousness of the plot.
One of the suspects told local television station CBS4 that his friends did not want to see a black man become president.
Nathan Johnson insisted in a jailhouse interview that he was not part of the plot to kill Obama, but said his friends intended to shoot the Democratic standard bearer from a "high vantage point" on Thursday night at the 75,000-seat Invesco stadium.
"He don't belong in political office. Blacks don't belong in political office. He ought to be shot," Johnson said as he explained the motivations of his friends.
The incident is also being probed by the FBI, the Secret Service and the joint terrorism task force.
The plot was unraveled Sunday after a police officer spotted a man driving a truck erratically in a suburb of Denver.
"The sergeant discovered inside his truck a bullet-proof vest, two rifles, ammunition, walkie talkies and drugs," Aurora police detective Marcus Dudley told reporters.
"Additional information was then developed which led to the arrest of others."
One of the men arrested had to be taken to hospital after he jumped out of a sixth floor hotel room window in an attempt to flee police, Dudley said.
Campaign communications director Robert Gibbs said no change was being made to Obama's schedule in light of the arrests.
The Illinois senator is due in Denver on Wednesday, ahead of his acceptance address the next day.
A tight security net has enveloped Denver to protect tens of thousands of supporters and protestors who descended on the city for the Democratic Party's political extravaganza.
An estimated 3,000 to 5,000 police and security personnel from 55 agencies, including the FBI and US military, are being deployed.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved. More »
