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Donald Trump and JD Vance should be arrested for spreading baseless claims that Haitian immigrants are eating pets and neighborhood animals in an Ohio town, according to an affidavit filed by a Haitian advocacy organization.
The complaint from the Haitian Bridge Alliance, filed Tuesday in Clark County Municipal Court, accuses the pair of working together to “knowingly spread a false and dangerous narrative.”
“Like those who falsely shout ‘fire!’ in a crowded theater,” the affidavit, obtained by the Miami Herald, reads. “Trump and Vance do not color within the lines of the First Amendment. They commit criminal acts.”
The affidavit claims that Trump and Vance should face seven counts, including aggravated menacing, knowingly making intimidating statements, and making false claims that lead to “massive disruptions to public services.”
Since Trump and Vance began spreading the claims about Haitians, the town of Springfield, Ohio, has faced at least 33 public safety and bomb threats, prompting officials to close schools and government buildings.
The affidavit asks the court to affirm whether there’s probable cause to arrest the duo, ahead of Trump’s stated intention to visit the community.
The Republican campaign’s comments have also sent fear through the area’s Haitian community.
“It’s creating so much panic in the community,” Springfield resident Viles Dorsainvil recently toldThe Independent. “... The words that come out of their mouths matter. They are looking for the highest office in America. They have the obligation to do better, because words are powerful.”
The Independent has contacted the Trump campaign for comment.
Local officials, including the police, have said there’s no evidence behind the claims about Haitians, which originated in a fourth-hand rumor on a local Facebook group that was amplified by local neo-Nazi groups.
That didn’t stop Trump from repeating it during his debate with Kamala Harris earlier this month.
Vance, who represents Springfield as Ohio’s US Senator, has said he got constituent calls about Haitians eating pets, while also appearing to admit in a recent interview his claims on the subject are false.
“If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m going to do,” the senator told CNN earlier this month.
