Al Baldasaro, the outspoken ex-Marine adviser of Donald Trump, is being investigated by the Secret Service for his incendiary comments this week that Hillary Clinton should be "put in a firing line and shot for treason," reported
WMUR-TV in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Baldasaro, a New Hampshire state representative and delegate for Trump, and co-chair of Trump's veterans' coalition, made the remarks on "The Kuhner Report" on Boston's
WRKO-AM Tuesday while at the Republican National Convention.
Talking about the terrorist raid on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Baldasaro told WRKO that Clinton was "a disgrace. The lies she told those mothers about their children that got killed over there in Benghazi … She dropped the ball on over 400 emails requesting backup, security. Something's wrong there."
And he continued: "This whole thing disgusts me. Hillary Clinton should be put in the firing line and shot for treason."
Baldasaro reiterated the "firing squad" line Wednesday in an interview with WMUR-TV.
"I'm a military man first, and anyone who takes information about our CIA or Secret Service and people at our embassy and puts it out on a server where anyone can grab it, putting Americans in danger to be killed, should be held accountable," he told WMUR-TV.
"As far as I'm concerned, it is treason and the penalty for treason is the firing squad – or maybe it's the electric chair now," Baldasaro added.
Robert K. Hoback, a spokesman for the U.S. Secret Service, told WMUR-TV that the agency was made aware of Baldasaro's remarks and "will conduct the appropriate investigation."
The
New Hampshire Union Leader reported that the state's Republican Party chair Jennifer Horn attempted to distance the party's from Baldasaro's comments Wednesday.
"Rep. Baldasaro's comments are appalling and have no place in public discourse," Horn told the newspaper. "Calls for violence in politics are never appropriate. I condemn his statement in the strongest terms possible and urge him to immediately apologize."
Baldasaro is one of the highest ranking elected officials from the state attending the Republican National Convention, with U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte and U.S. Rep. Frank Guinta opting to stay in New Hampshire to focus on their re-election bids, noted the Union Leader.