trumpanzees continue to try to intimidate thru violence
https://www.yahoo.com/news/feds-finally-turning-maga-threats-151243771.html
Feds are (finally) turning MAGA threats made to elections officials into maximum jail time
EJ Montini, Arizona Republic
Thu, August 18, 2022 at 11:12 AM·4 min read
Arizona Seretary of State Katie Hobbs and Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, each of whom, like other elections officials,
have received threats from individuals duped into believing the Big Lie about a stolen election.
It’s about time.
Hell, it’s past time. By a lot.
One of the conspiracy-infused MAGA idiots who thought it was OK to threaten Maricopa County election officials has been indicted with one count of communicating an interstate threat and one count of making a threatening telephone call against county Recorder Stephen Richer, offenses that could – and hopefully will – get the dope five years in the slammer.
The suspect is 50-year-old Walter Lee Hoornstra of Tecumseh, Mo., a guy with no real connection to Arizona who allowed himself to be brainwashed about election fraud by political scam artists pushing the Big Lie, and who now may wind up paying for it behind bars.
“The department’s Election Threats Task Force, working with our partners across the country, remains committed to investigating and prosecuting such illegal threats to ensure that these public servants are able to do their jobs free from intimidation.”
For that to happen, the DOJ is going to have to be a LOT more aggressive with prosecutions because Richer and other election officials, like Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, as well as officials in just about every state, have received thousands of threats.
No exaggeration.
Thousands.
The threat to Richer that drew an indictment came during the sham audit of Maricopa County ballots ordered by Arizona Senate President Karen Fann. Richer lays the trouble at her feet, telling The Arizona Mirror, “This voice message and every other one I received in mid-May is 100% Karen Fann’s doing. She authorized morons (to run the ‘audit’), exercised zero oversight and absolved herself of any responsibility.”
More trouble: Cyber Ninjas CEO faces criminal probe in Michigan
The Big Lie started with Donald Trump and it roared down like Niagara Falls on every Republican politician, some of whom spread the false claim of election tampering because they wanted to believe it, others simply because they were (and still are) afraid of Trump and what he can do to their political careers.
Liars or cowards. Or both.
And in spreading the falsehood they put Richer and other dedicated public servants in the crosshairs of Trump’s most unstable cultists.
Again, the suspect, James W. Clark is from Falmouth, Mass., a long, long way from here, but within range of right wing media where he, like so many others, was indoctrinated by purveyors of the Big Lie who act in concert with their Dear Leader.
Now this guy is facing 10 years for the bomb threat and more jail time for other charges.
Hobbs’ spokeswoman Murphy Hebert spoke about the many, varied threats their office had received by phone, on social media and by email.
She said, “Hanging is something we hear a lot, that you should be hanged. That seems to be a favorite.”
Republicans running for the three top jobs in Arizona government continue to spread the Big Lie about the 2020 election. They try to wash their hands of any threats or any violence that may come from those who fall for the cock-and-bull story of a stolen election.
And the law can’t stop them. Which is too bad.
Law enforcement can, and should, come down hard on those who threaten public officials.
But in the case of those who’ve been duped into believing the Big Lie, it’s a little like punishing the dummies and not the ventriloquists.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/feds-finally-turning-maga-threats-151243771.html
Feds are (finally) turning MAGA threats made to elections officials into maximum jail time
EJ Montini, Arizona Republic
Thu, August 18, 2022 at 11:12 AM·4 min read
Arizona Seretary of State Katie Hobbs and Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, each of whom, like other elections officials,
have received threats from individuals duped into believing the Big Lie about a stolen election.
It’s about time.
Hell, it’s past time. By a lot.
One of the conspiracy-infused MAGA idiots who thought it was OK to threaten Maricopa County election officials has been indicted with one count of communicating an interstate threat and one count of making a threatening telephone call against county Recorder Stephen Richer, offenses that could – and hopefully will – get the dope five years in the slammer.
The suspect is 50-year-old Walter Lee Hoornstra of Tecumseh, Mo., a guy with no real connection to Arizona who allowed himself to be brainwashed about election fraud by political scam artists pushing the Big Lie, and who now may wind up paying for it behind bars.
Thousands more await prosecution
In a statement, Kenneth A. Polite Jr., assistant attorney general for the Department of Justice’s criminal division, said, “These unlawful threats of violence endanger election officials, undermine our electoral process, and threaten our democracy.“The department’s Election Threats Task Force, working with our partners across the country, remains committed to investigating and prosecuting such illegal threats to ensure that these public servants are able to do their jobs free from intimidation.”
For that to happen, the DOJ is going to have to be a LOT more aggressive with prosecutions because Richer and other election officials, like Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, as well as officials in just about every state, have received thousands of threats.
No exaggeration.
Thousands.
They were spurred by Donald Trump's lies
In a Twitter thread Richer said in part, “Thanks to @FBI for acting on this one. Very meaningful. Unfortunately, I have PLENTY more to keep them busy. And, even worse, so too do some of the non-public facing members of @RecordersOffice and @MaricopaVote … violent threats and actions continue to be normalized, or at least swept under the rug, by many ‘leaders’ in society. Anyone who says ‘oh, but it was just a few of them’ or ‘oh, but they’re normally good people’ is contributing to this chilling effect and mob mentality.”The threat to Richer that drew an indictment came during the sham audit of Maricopa County ballots ordered by Arizona Senate President Karen Fann. Richer lays the trouble at her feet, telling The Arizona Mirror, “This voice message and every other one I received in mid-May is 100% Karen Fann’s doing. She authorized morons (to run the ‘audit’), exercised zero oversight and absolved herself of any responsibility.”
More trouble: Cyber Ninjas CEO faces criminal probe in Michigan
The Big Lie started with Donald Trump and it roared down like Niagara Falls on every Republican politician, some of whom spread the false claim of election tampering because they wanted to believe it, others simply because they were (and still are) afraid of Trump and what he can do to their political careers.
Liars or cowards. Or both.
And in spreading the falsehood they put Richer and other dedicated public servants in the crosshairs of Trump’s most unstable cultists.
Bomb threats and promised gallows
About a month ago the FBI arrested a conspiracy kook from Massachusetts who threatened to explode a bomb in Katie Hobbs’ “personal space” if she did not resign.Again, the suspect, James W. Clark is from Falmouth, Mass., a long, long way from here, but within range of right wing media where he, like so many others, was indoctrinated by purveyors of the Big Lie who act in concert with their Dear Leader.
Now this guy is facing 10 years for the bomb threat and more jail time for other charges.
Hobbs’ spokeswoman Murphy Hebert spoke about the many, varied threats their office had received by phone, on social media and by email.
She said, “Hanging is something we hear a lot, that you should be hanged. That seems to be a favorite.”
We punish the puppets, not their masters
Lies have consequences, though not often enough for those who spread them.Republicans running for the three top jobs in Arizona government continue to spread the Big Lie about the 2020 election. They try to wash their hands of any threats or any violence that may come from those who fall for the cock-and-bull story of a stolen election.
And the law can’t stop them. Which is too bad.
Law enforcement can, and should, come down hard on those who threaten public officials.
But in the case of those who’ve been duped into believing the Big Lie, it’s a little like punishing the dummies and not the ventriloquists.
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