HARTFORD, Conn. _ Last June, in compliance with a protective order against him, Robert F. Hyde, who is running for Congress in Connecticut, turned over six firearms and more than 800 rounds of ammunition to the Simsbury Police Department. Officers seized three rifles, two shotguns, a flare launcher and other shooting accessories from Hyde's home in Weatogue, according to a police report.
When Simsbury police arrived at Hyde's home last year to confiscate his firearms, they described him as "very cooperative." But a week later, police responded to a trespassing complaint from the First Church of Christ. Church staff members told police that Hyde had begun attending Sunday services two weeks prior and had taken videos of himself in and around the church "for political campaign purposes" and posted them on social media.
According to the report, the staffers told police that due to Hyde's "unsettling behavior and political campaigning," they wanted help asking him not to return to the congregation. They did not ask to press charges. Two days later, a Simsbury police officer went to Hyde's home and explained the church's complaint. Hyde was "surprised by the complaint and understood," according to the report.
Now, national attention is on Hyde, whose WhatsApp messages with Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas seem to reflect an attempt to track the movements of former U.S. Ambassador to the Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch.
"She's talked to three people. Her phone is off. Computer is off," Hyde apparently wrote Parnas on March 25, 2019, followed within seconds by "She's next to the embassy" and "Not in the embassy."
"They will let me know when she's on the move," Hyde messaged Parnas a few minutes later.
In a statement Wednesday, Rep. Eliot L. Engel, chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, called for an investigation into what he said were "profoundly alarming" messages between Hyde and Parnas. He said that the texts suggest an "unprecedented threat to our diplomats."
Engel said the Foreign Affairs Committee staff contacted the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security on Tuesday to "seek assurances that proper steps have been taken" to ensure Yovanovitch's safety and the security of the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv.
"The messages suggest a possible risk to Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch's security in Kyiv before she was recalled from her post last year," Engel said in the statement. "These threats occurred at the same time that the two men were also discussing President Trump's efforts, through Rudy Giuliani, to smear the ambassador's reputation."
In one message to Parnas, Hyde apparently wrote, "Wow. Can't believe Trumo (sic) hasn't fired this bitch," in reference to Yovanovitch. "I'll get right in that," he added.
The language of Hyde's apparent messages to Parnas was similar in tone to sexist and vulgar tweets he made last month about California Sen. Kamala Harris, which prompted several prominent Republicans to call for the end of his congressional bid.
A strong supporter of Trump, Hyde has donated at least $2,000 to Trump's reelection fund, according to the FEC. He also donated at least $750 to the Connecticut Republican Party, which announced Wednesday that it would return his contributions, citing his "vile comments on Twitter."
On Wednesday, Connecticut GOP Chairman J.R. Romano called on Hyde to end his bid for Congress.
"His campaign is a distraction for the Democrats to raise money and falsely label all Republicans with his antics. In my view he is not helping other Republican candidates or Donald Trump," Romano said in a tweet.
Hyde disparaged House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff in a tweet Tuesday evening, asserting that he was "never in Kiev."
"For them to take some texts my buddy's and I wrote back to some dweeb we were playing with that we met a few times while we had a few drinks is definitely laughable," the tweet said.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said in a phone interview Wednesday that the new documents released by the House were "absolutely breathtaking, astonishing and appalling," as they reflected the "corruption of Trump and apparently of his agents in a bribery scheme."
The documents seemed to offer new evidence of the efforts by Giuliani and Parnas to remove Yovanovitch from her position as ambassador, including text message exchanges between the two men about her anticipated ousting.
"Robert Hyde was part of that scheme, apparently, and what is so staggering about his texts is that essentially he was tracking and surveilling her," Blumenthal said, in reference to Yovanovitch.
Blumenthal said that he knew "virtually nothing" about Hyde and that many questions remain unanswered, including why and to what extent Hyde was involved with Trump's network of associates.
"There needs to be an investigation," he said.
Engel said that a formal request for documents, information and a briefing from senior officials would be made in order to determine what the State Department knew about the situation when the messages were sent.
Yovanovitch's attorney Lawrence S. Robbins said in a statement Wednesday that there should be an investigation into the matter.
"Needless to say, the notion that American citizens and others were monitoring Ambassador Yovanovitch's movements for unknown purposes is disturbing," the statement said.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said that obtaining emails and documents from the White House is "now more important that ever for a real, fair trial" in a tweet Wednesday morning.
"What did Trump and/or his top advisors know about the surveillance and harassment of an American Ambassador? And did they order or direct it? Critical to know this," he wrote.
The U.S. attorney's office for the Southern District of New York _ which indicted Parnas _ declined to comment. The State Department did not immediately return a request for comment.
