The Hill News

An Indiana man was charged Thursday for allegedly threatening a member of Rep. Joe Donnelly's (D-Ind.) district office staff.

According to an FBI affidavit, Brett Kelling called Donnelly's South Bend, Ind., office on Monday and allegedly told an employee that the congressman's staff has been "back-stabbing him."

{mosads}"I am going to come and back stab you. I mean literally come down and stab you," Kelling, 46, told the staffer, the South Bend Tribune reported Thursday.

The threat comes at a time of heightened sensitivity over the safety of lawmakers following the Jan. 8 shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.).

Kelling is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in South Bend for a detention hearing. There, a judge will likely! determine whether the suspect will be held with or without bail, pending the resolution of the charges.

The female staff member quoted in the FBI affidavit said that she believed Kelling's threat was directed at the entire staff as well as Donnelly.

According to the affidavit, Kelling has regularly called the office to discuss politics and current events in a manner that is, "Routinely irrational, confrontational and uses vulgar language," the Tribune reported.

Kelling was arrested Monday by FBI and local police and was held without bond in county jail.