July 09, 2026
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Richard Franklin, 65, was charged with terroristic threats and ethnic intimidation for allegedly threatening to burn down Gov. Josh Shapiro’s mansion in Harrisburg, shown above in 2023.
A Delaware County man was arrested Wednesday for allegedly making antisemitic remarks about Gov. Josh Shapiro and threatening to burn down his home in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania State Police said.
Richard Franklin, 65, of Brookhaven, was visiting the office of State Rep. Leanne Krueger on Tuesday to seek assistance regarding his outstanding tax bill, police said. When a staff member attempted to assist him, Franklin used an antisemitic ethnic slur while making a "threat of arson" to the governor's mansion.
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State police were notified and arrived at Franklin's home Wednesday. He provided "multiple inconsistent accounts" of his remarks, but admitted to using an ethnic slur, police said. He allegedly characterized his threats to the governor's mansion as "sympathetic and positive in nature because the Governor and his family survived the previous arson," state police wrote in an incident report released to the media.
In April 2025, an intruder used Molotov cocktails to set fire to several rooms in the mansion while Shapiro and his family slept after celebrating Passover with guests. An anti-climb fence and other security upgrades since have been added to the governor's mansion. In October, Cody Balmer, of Harrisburg, pleaded guilty to attempted murder and is serving 25 to 50 years in prison.
Shapiro's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Franklin's case.
Police said Franklin was taken into custody without incident and is being held in Delaware County Prison after being unable to post $100,000 bail. He has been charged with terroristic threats, ethnic intimidation and related offenses. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for next week, according to court records.
The state police's Political Violence Threat Unit, which arrested Franklin, was established in May to investigate threats against elected officials after a Lebanon County man was arrested for allegedly making violent remarks targeting 20 Democratic state lawmakers.
"It is our duty to uphold the sanctity of the law and to protect the Commonwealth," Sgt. Logan Brouse, communications director with the Pennsylvania State Police, said in a statement. "PSP takes threats against the lives of public officials seriously — that's why the department has formed a dedicated unit to address the growing amount of ideologically motivated violence against elected officials. PSP will continue to ensure the safety of public officials in Pennsylvania."
