Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s chosen defense secretary, was among a number of Cabinet nominees and appointees of the president-elect’s new administration who were targeted with bomb threats and so-called ‘swatting’ on Wednesday, the Guardian has learned.

Elise Stefanik, a Republican congresswoman from New York and Trump’s pick as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations who has emerged in recent years as a far-right Trump loyalist, was the subject of a bomb threat, her office said.

The home of Howard Lutnick, Trump’s pick for commerce secretary and part of his transition team, was threatened, the Bronx outlet News 12 reported. And Lee Zeldin, the pick of the Environmental Protection Agency, saw his home on Long Island threatened, News 12 in Long Island also reported.

Zeldin later posted on He said they weren’t home and wanted to know more.

A report also emerged via CNN that Matt Gaetz was also targeted. The former congressman was Trump’s first choice as US attorney general but resigned after eight days amid a sexual misconduct scandal, putting him at risk of not being confirmed by the Senate.

A Trump spokesperson confirmed the threats against some of his Cabinet picks, but did not initially provide names or say how many people had received threats.

The FBI later said it was involved in the investigation into the incidents.

But Hegseth, the military veteran steeped in controversy over his hardline conservative views and a sexual scandal, was considered among those threatened, according to two people familiar with the developments.

It was believed he had been threatened at home with a pipe bomb pointed at him. It was unclear whether the threats were related to real weapons or were a hoax, but as events unfolded in the early afternoon there was no sign that any bombs had been located. It is believed the threat led to a law enforcement bomb squad being dispatched to his home.

Aside from Zeldin’s social media comments, there were no other comments on a possible motive. Israel’s war in Gaza continues even as a ceasefire has been declared with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The election campaign also saw a wave of bomb threats, with election officials and their offices often targeted.

Trump has assembled one of the most controversial and incongruous Cabinet teams in American presidential history to date, much to the delight of his supporters.

The threats were made both Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning. Members of law enforcement agencies and various authorities acted quickly to ensure the safety of the targets, said Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s spokesperson and the new White House press secretary, who released a statement.

Leavitt did not provide further details on the nature of the various threats. Spokespeople for the FBI and Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Leavitt said the attacks “range from bomb threats to ‘swatting'”, which involve a hoax call to police intended to prompt them to send a significant, armed response to someone’s home and cause fear and maximum chaos .

Stefanik’s office said in a post on New York State, county law enforcement, and the U.S. Capitol Police immediately responded with the highest level of professionalism.”

Wednesday’s developments follow two assassination attempts on Trump himself during his election campaign.

On July 13, a gunman fired into the crowd at an open-air Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, wounding two attendees and killing one. Trump was grazed by the gunfire but emerged almost completely unscathed.

Two months later, on September 15, a suspect was caught pointing a gun at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago golf course, where Trump was playing golf. He was arrested the same day.

Both incidents prompted the campaigns of both Trump and his rival, Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, to take increased security measures for the duration of the race. After the shooting in Pennsylvania, Trump regularly appeared at rallies behind bulletproof glass.