An American who threatened several times to kill an Arizona election official was sentenced Monday to two and a half years in prison, authorities announced, a few months before a presidential election that promises to be extremely tense.
“Joshua Russell called the office of then-Secretary of State Katie Hobbs three times, threatening to bury her underground or in a grave,” Gary Restaino, head of the Arizona Department of Justice, recalled at a press conference.
“Reprehensible and criminal acts”
Katie Hobbs has since become governor of Arizona. Her role as Secretary of State had made this Democrat a privileged target of threats, in this key state, victim of an avalanche of conspiracy theories since Joe Biden narrowly defeated Donald Trump in 2020, with only 10,000 votes in advance.
Two weeks ago, a Massachusetts man was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for threatening the Secretary of State’s office by placing a bomb inside the building.
Federal courts also brought charges against five other people who threatened to kill other election officials in Arizona.
“Death threats do not contribute to the debate of ideas,” recalled John Keller, member of a team especially dedicated to the security of election officials in the United States.
“Death threats and all threats of violence are reprehensible and criminal acts and will be combated with the full force of the Department of Justice.” The authorities thus issue a warning a few months before a high-risk presidential election, in which Joe Biden will have to face Donald Trump once again.
Source: BFM TV
