MIAMI _ Two weeks before suspect Cesar Sayoc allegedly mailed pipe bombs to at least 12 Democrats, Democratic strategist Rochelle Ritchie reported to Twitter that he had made a threat to her on the site.
She was rebuffed.
On Friday afternoon _ several hours after Sayoc was taken into custody at an AutoZone in Plantation _ Ritchie posted the tweeting history of her Oct. 11 back-and-forth warning on Twiitter over what she perceived to be a threat made by Sayoc.
"Hey @Twitter remember when I reported the guy who was making threats towards me after my appearance on @FoxNews and you guys sent back a bs response about how you didn't find it that serious. Well guess what it's the guy who has been sending #bombs to high profile politicians!!!!" she posted.
Friday night, Twitter apologized.
"We made a mistake when Rochelle Ritchie first alerted us to the threat made against her. The Tweet clearly violated our rules and should have been removed. We are deeply sorry for that error," said a post from @TwitterSafety.
And a few minutes later: "We are investigating what happened and will continue to work to improve how we handle concerns raised by anyone on Twitter."
"We want Twitter to be a place where people feel safe, and we know we have lot of work to do."
Ritchie had appeared with several others on a "Fox & Friends" segment in September to discuss former President Barack Obama's public assertion that the "politics of division and resentment and paranoia has unfortunately found a home in the Republican Party."
Obama had urged voters to turn out for the midterm elections and many saw the Democratic president's comments as criticisms of Republican President Donald Trump.
On the show, on which she was joined by Fox News contributors Tammy Bruce and Guy Benson, Ritchie said she wished Obama had not stepped back into the public eye to take on Trump and the Republican Party.
"I was really, really excited to see President Obama back and speaking," she said. "It was nice to see some sort of civility return to politics and some sort of decorum. But at the same time, I'm looking at the headlines and the commentaries that I see and what's being said on national TV and I have to say I wish he didn't come back.
"And the reason why is President Obama did so much for our country, as far as the unemployment rate, and now it seems like it's going to be a battle between Obama and Trump and that's what Trump will capitalize on and it's going to inspire his base to come out even more," Ritchie said on the segment. "I don't think he should get into this mosh pit of Trump politics."
Sayoc apparently caught the Fox segment, because on Oct. 11 he tweeted under the Twitter name Cesar Altier @hardrock2016: "So you like make threats. We unconquered Seminole Tribe will answer your threats. We have nice silent air boat ride for u here on our land Everglades Swamp. Hug your loved ones real close every time you leave home."
Ritchie, director of external affairs for Democracy Prep Public Schools and a former House of Representatives press secretary, responded back via Twitter: "Threatening my life ... bad idea."
She then reported the post to Twitter. The company responded in a tweet to Ritchie that it had "found that there was no violation of the Twitter Rules against abusive behavior. There are a number of factors we take into consideration when deciding whether to take action on content." Twitter cited "context matters."
Sayoc used similar language in subsequent tweets directed at Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, the Democratic nominee for governor.
Seminole Tribe spokesman Gary Bitner emphatically denied that Sayoc had ever been a member of the Native American group. The Seminole Tribe operates casinos and entertainment venues throughout Florida, including the popular Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino near Hollywood that, among other events, hosts top-name pop concerts.
