Topline
A Texas man has been arrested and charged for allegedly threatening to kill government officials in Georgia after the state's election administrators refused to join then-President Donald Trump's effort to overturn the 2020 election results, according to court records, as the former president continues obsessing over his loss in the state.
Key Facts
Chad Christopher Stark, of Leander, Texas, has been charged with one count of making interstate threats after he allegedly posted a message on Craigslist laden with threats against Georgia officials, who are unnamed in the indictment against Stark.
The message called for "Georgia Patriots" to "put a bullet in the treasonous Chinese [Official A]," before "we work our way down to [Official B] the local and federal corrupt judges."
It went on to say "we need to pay a visit to [Official C]
and her family as well and put a bullet behind her ears."The message was allegedly posted on January 5, 2021, just two days after a leaked phone call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) was published, where Trump pushed Raffensperger to "find" the votes needed to overturn his loss in the state.
A charge of making interstate threats could lead to a sentence of up to five years in prison.
Stark could not be reached for comment—it was not immediately clear if he had an attorney.
Crucial Quote
"We're going to make examples of traitors to our country...death to you and your communist friends," the message said.
Key Background
According to the Washington Post, which first reported Stark's indictment, this is the first arrest made as the result of an investigation by a Justice Department task force formed last summer specifically to look into threats made against election workers. Georgia has been a focal point of conspiracy theories around the 2020 presidential election, with top officials like Raffensperger and Gov. Brian Kemp (R) saying they received numerous threats after the election. Though Trump lost five states he carried in 2016, he seemed particularly upset over his loss in Georgia, where he became the first GOP presidential nominee to lose the state since 1992. Trump repeatedly attacked Kemp and Raffensperger after they refused to back his efforts to overturn his loss, which he claimed was the result of widespread voter fraud. But several recounts and a series of court challenges disproved Trump's claims and affirmed President Joe Biden won the state by nearly 12,000 votes.
What To Watch For
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has requested a special grand jury convene as part of her criminal investigation into Trump's efforts to overturn Georgia's election results. Trump responded by blasting the investigation and reiterating his continually debunked claims of voter fraud, falsely claiming in a statement Friday that corruption "definitely took place in the Georgia Presidential election."
Further Reading
Texas man charged with threatening election, government officials in Georgia (Washington Post)
Georgia Election Official Demands Trump Accept Results, Warns ‘Someone’s Going To Get Killed’ If Not (Forbes)
Georgia Prosecutor Investigating Trump’s Attempts To Overturn Election Asks For Special Grand Jury (Forbes)
Georgia Recertifies Biden’s Win After Trump-Ordered Recount Fails Again (Forbes)
