Newly released court documents reveal that a former Hoosier congressional candidate’s arrest and ongoing criminal case are related to allegations of online threats and intimidation he made against Indianapolis-based political commentator Abdul-Hakim Shabazz
Gabriel “Gabe” Whitley was arrested on a felony charge in August after Indianapolis police received a complaint that he was “stalking” Shabazz on social media, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Whitley had previously run for mayor of Evansville, but he withdrew from his campaign.
Shabazz, who prepared the report, said he was serving an FBI search warrant on Whitley’s home when the former political candidate “began encouraging violence against him through X (Twitter) posts,” according to the affidavit.
According to police, Whitley’s messages included statements such as “shoot him like a pig” and called for “national law enforcement” to raid Shabazz’s home. Shabazz — who has a history of civil lawsuits against Whitley — said he was “not sure” what Whitley “can do,” and further expressed concerns for his safety, as well as that of his “family, wife and other loved ones” at Shabazz’s residence.
The affidavit states that Whitley posted a photo of Shabazz’s residence and personal vehicle publicly on social media.
Another photo Whitley reportedly shared online shows a graphic, bloody image of Thomas Crooks, who was shot and killed after attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump this summer. “The Secret Service missed (Abdul),” the post said, then gave his address, according to photos in the affidavit.
Detectives said in the affidavit that shortly after the conversation with Shabazz, they confirmed that Whitley owned the X account @realhonestgabe, prompting them to seek a search warrant.
Police also reported that the email address associated with Whitley’s X account was the same as the email address he used when applying for the job.
The affidavit also reveals that the address and photo Whitley allegedly posted online are linked to Shabazz.
It’s unclear why the court documents were originally sealed. The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office filed a motion to have the case sealed in early August. The office attempted to have the seal lifted last week, and the motion was granted by the Marion Superior Court judge presiding over the case.
The FBI searched Whitley’s Indianapolis home in July, but the agency has remained silent about the investigation, IndyStar reported. Bobby Kern, who also lives at the home and previously ran for Democratic lieutenant governor, told the newspaper that agents seized Whitley’s electronic devices during their search.
Following his arrest, Whitley was released on bail and placed on GPS monitoring, pending further trial. He currently faces a felony charge of harassment, which carries a maximum penalty of two and a half years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Whitley did not respond to the Indiana Capital Chronicle’s request for comment on the FBI investigation or recent court documents.
Whitley ran in the Republican primary in Indiana’s 7th Congressional District, but lost to Jennifer Pace — even though she died after filing her candidacy and before the primary. A GOP faction has since selected John Schmitz to replace her on the ballot.
Whitley previously ran for mayor of Evansville in 2022, but dropped that campaign six months later.
The Capital Chronicle reported earlier this year that complaints had been filed with the Indiana Election Division and the Federal Election Commission and Whitley’s “Honest Gabe for Congress” committee alleging excessive campaign contributions and fraudulent donors during his congressional campaign.
Earlier, the Evansville Courier & Press reported that Whitley had raised thousands of dollars from donors who said they had never heard of him.
A report filed with the FEC by the Honest Gabe Committee in July found that the organization had just over $329,597 in cash on hand during the January through March reporting period, including a $100,000 “loan” that Whitley said he made to himself, in addition to an earlier $20,000 loan.
The agency has asked Whitley and his Honest Gabe for Congress for additional campaign finance information to “clarify whether the candidate used personal funds or borrowed the money from a lending institution or other source.” A separate letter was sent to Whitley in August instructing him to “forgo” any personal contributions his 2024 campaign received that exceeded the $5,000 limit.
It is not yet clear whether the FBI investigation is related to Whitley’s campaign finances, or whether separate charges will be filed.
This article originally appeared on the Evansville Courier & Press: Former Evansville mayoral candidate Gabe Whitley arrested
