Incoming House Speaker Newt Gingrich is receiving increased protection, including round-the-clock bodyguards and an armored limousine, after receiving death threats, the Daily News reported Wednesday.
Both Washington police and the FBI are investigating the threats, the newspaper said. It quoted an unidentified Gingrich aide as saying the threats have been increasing.In a memo to Gingrich, Capitol Hill Police Chief Gary Abrecht outlined the stepped-up security, which will include round-the-clock, armed plain-clothes bodyguards, uniformed officers outside his offices and an armored li-mou-sine equipped with police radios and an armed police driver, the News reported.
Gingrich's predecessor, Thomas Foley, also had an armed driver, but not the added security measures.
Abrecht said Gingrich will have to abandon his frequent walks from his Capitol Hill apartment to his offices.
"My primary concern is for your safety, and the simple fact is that we live in a world where security must play a major role in the life of a person in your position," Abrecht said.