The Department of Justice is currently investigating threats made to election workers and has charged 20 individuals so far, with 13 of them already convicted. Two individuals were sentenced for making threats against former Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, and were given prison sentences of 2.5 years and 42 months. The DOJ is taking these threats seriously, with many individuals receiving prison sentences of more than 18 months, signaling the seriousness with which federal courts are treating this conduct.
The Election Threats Task Force, led by John Keller, works to help local officials proactively search for, investigate, and prosecute threats against election workers. Keller emphasized the importance of protecting election officials, who are vital to the effective administration of elections, from being scapegoated, targeted, and attacked. Many threats reviewed by the FBI are not criminally actionable, but every reported communication is still reviewed. To be considered a crime, a communication must include a serious expression indicating that the speaker intends to commit an act of violence.
Former Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, who is now the state’s governor, was a target of threats made by two individuals who have been convicted and sentenced. Joshua Russell, an Ohio man, was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison for leaving threatening voicemails to Hobbs’ office in 2022. James Clark, a Massachusetts man, was convicted for making a bomb threat against Hobbs in 2021, leading to a partial evacuation. Clark was sentenced to 42 months in prison and had conducted online searches related to the Boston Marathon bombing.
Arizona was at the center of claims of a stolen election in 2020, fueled by Donald Trump’s narrow loss in the state. Trump has continuously claimed he won the election, despite no evidence supporting his claim after numerous investigations and reviews. The threats made against election workers are seen as a concerning new era in which the election community is being targeted and attacked, risking the depletion of experienced election officials. The DOJ is committed to investigating and prosecuting individuals who threaten or harm election workers, who are described as the first responders of democracy.
The DOJ’s Election Threats Task Force, led by John Keller, is actively working to address threats against election workers and is partnering with local officials to identify and prosecute individuals who pose a danger to the election process. Keller emphasized the need to protect election officials from being targeted and attacked, as they play a crucial role in the administration of elections. Most threats reviewed by the FBI are not considered criminally actionable, but the agency takes every reported communication seriously and investigates to determine if it meets the criteria for a crime involving a serious expression of intent to commit violence.
