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Threats Against Former Presidents and Certain Other Persons (18 U.S.C. § 879)

18 U.S.C. § 879 (2004)

§ 879. Threats against former Presidents and certain other persons

(a) Whoever knowingly and willfully threatens to kill, kidnap, or inflict bodily harm upon--
    (1) a former President or a member of the immediate family of a former President;
    (2) a member of the immediate family of the President, the President-elect, the Vice President, or the Vice President-elect;
    (3) a major candidate for the office of President or Vice President, or a member of the immediate family of such candidate; or
    (4) a person protected by the Secret Service under section 3056(a)(6);
shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.

(b) As used in this section--
    (1) the term "immediate family" means--
      (A) with respect to subsection (a)(1) of this section, the wife of a former President during his lifetime, the widow of a former President until her death or remarriage, and minor children of a former President until they reach sixteen years of age; and
      (B) with respect to subsection (a)(2) and (a)(3) of this section, a person to whom the President, President-elect, Vice President, Vice President-elect, or major candidate for the office of President or Vice President--
        (i) is related by blood, marriage, or adoption; or
        (ii) stands in loco parentis;
    (2) the term "major candidate for the office of President or Vice President" means a candidate referred to in subsection (a)(7) of section 3056 of this title; and
    (3) the terms "President-elect" and "Vice President-elect" have the meanings given those terms in section 871(b) of this title.