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San Francisco man arrested for allegedly threatening Nancy Pelosi

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From Times staff and wire reports

A San Francisco man was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of making threatening phone calls to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi because of her support for healthcare reform.

Gregory Lee Giusti, 48, was arrested at his home in the city’s Tenderloin district after an investigation by federal authorities, said Joseph Schadler, spokesman for the FBI’s San Francisco office.

Schadler said Wednesday afternoon that the criminal complaint against Giusti was under seal and would not be made public until he appeared Thursday morning in San Francisco federal court.

According to federal authorities, Giusti allegedly made dozens of calls to Pelosi’s homes in California and Washington, D.C., as well as her husband’s business office. He allegedly recited her home address and warned that she should not support the healthcare overhaul bill that was recently signed into law if she wanted to see her home again.

In a statement, Pelosi, a Democrat from San Francisco, thanked the FBI and other law enforcement officials but declined to make additional comments on the case.

One of Giusti’s neighbors, Rose Riggs, said he was known for his heated political debates with neighbors.

“He was not one of my favorite people,” she said. “He had a real attitude problem.”

metrodesk@latimes.com

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