Iowa man sentenced to prison for threatening Arizona election officials.
An Iowa Man Sentenced to Prison for Threatening Election Official
An Iowa man has been sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison for leaving threatening voicemails on the phone of an election official on the Maricopa County Arizona Board of Supervisors and to the then-Attorney General of Arizona.
According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice, Mark A. Rissi, 64, of Hiawatha, Iowa, left the following message around Sept. 27, 2021, in the voicemail system of Clint Hickman, an election official with the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors:
“Hello Mr. Hickman, I am glad that you are standing up for democracy and want to place your hand on the Bible and say that the election was honest and fair. I really appreciate that. When we come to lynch your stupid lying Commie [expletive], you’ll remember that you lied on the [expletive] Bible, you piece of [expletive]. You’re gonna die, you piece of [expletive]. We’re going to hang you. We’re going to hang you.”
Then, around Dec. 8, 2021, Mr. Rissi left another message via voicemail for then-Attorney General Mark Brnovich:
“This message is for Attorney General Mark Brnovich . . . . I’m a victim of a crime. My family is a victim of a crime. My extended family is a victim of a crime. That crime was the theft of the 2020 election. The election that was fraudulent across the state of Arizona, that the Attorney General knows was fraudulent, that the Attorney General has images of the conspirators deleting election fraud data from the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors computer system. Do your job, Brnovich, or you will hang with those [expletive] in the end. We will see to it. Torches and pitchforks. That’s your future, [expletive]. Do your job.”
Mr. Rissi pleaded guilty to two counts of sending a threatening interstate communication, the statement said.
“Those who weaponize election protests threaten our civility and our democracy,” U.S. Attorney Gary M. Restaino for the District of Arizona said in a statement. “Thanks to our partners with the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force and the FBI for ensuring accountability.”
The FBI Phoenix Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the FBI Omaha Field Office, Cedar Rapids Resident Agency.
“The FBI works to ensure that threats to election officials will not impact election results but will result in legal consequences,” Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division said in the statement. “Today’s sentencing represents the FBI and our partners’ dedication to keeping American elections impenetrable from criminal influences.”
Election Threats Task Force
This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, “the task force has led the Department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers – whether elected, appointed, or volunteer – are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation,” the statement said.
The task force works with “the election community,” and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. The task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide.
According to its website, to date, the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force has charged 14 cases involving threats against “the election community” and it has seen nine convictions.
Chad Christopher Stark, 55, of Leander, Texas, posted a message to Craigslist around Jan. 5
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