Campaign of fear: Law enforcement has taken little action as election officials face a wave of threats and menacing messages from backers of Donald Trump. @Reuters tracked down and interviewed nine of the harassers. Most were unrepentant reut.rs/3ov941l 1/7
In Arizona, a stay-at-home dad told the state’s chief election officer she would hang for treason. In Utah, a man warned Colorado’s election chief that he watched her as she slept. In Vermont, a man told workers at the state election office they were about to die 2/7
The three have much in common: they are self-described patriots who say they are fighting a conspiracy that robbed Donald Trump of the 2020 election; they frequent far-right websites; and none have been charged with a crime by the police agencies alerted to their threats 3/7
The nine people are responsible for nearly two dozen harassing communications to six election officials in four states. Seven made threats explicit enough to put a reasonable person in fear of bodily harm or death, the federal standard for criminal prosecution 4/7
These cases provide a unique perspective into how people with everyday jobs and lives have become radicalized to the point of terrorizing public officials. They are part of a broader campaign of fear waged against frontline workers of American democracy chronicled by @Reuters 5/7
Some Vermont officials questioned why the man intimidating state officials wasn’t investigated or prosecuted. But in a pattern seen across America, officials decided the man’s repeated messages amounted to legally protected free speech 6/7
Read more on how @Reuters unmasked Trump supporters threatening U.S. election officials and why law enforcement officials chose not to charge them reut.rs/3ov941l 7/7
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