Joshua Russell had pleaded guilty to a fed charge of making an interstate #threat against #Hobbs, a Dem who was AZ’s chief #elections officer in 2022 & is now the state’s gov.
Judge Steven Logan commended Russell for undergoing substance abuse treatment & other counseling since his arrest…, but concluded Russell must spend time in #prison, saying he has traumatized people in the SoS’s office.
The judge, who read Russell’s profanity-laden threats aloud in court, said Russell had accused the victim of being a terrorist, while he was threatening her life. He rejected Russell’s characterization of his actions as immature. “None of these people deserved it,” Logan said.
Russell’s vms were among countless #threats against #Hobbs for her role in certifying #Biden’s 2020 presidential victory over #Trump in #Arizona & in the 2022 midterms. As SoS, Hobbs at times had 24hr #security bc of threats from Trump supporters who falsely claimed his loss was marred by fraud.
Russell’s case is brought by #DOJ’s #ElectionThreatsTaskForce, which focuses on threats of #violence against elected ofcls, workers & volunteers to ensure they can oversee #elections free of #harassment.
Earlier this month, a #Massachusetts man was sentenced to 3½yrs in #prison for making a #threat to bomb #Hobbs’ office in Feb 2021 when she was still the SoS.
In Feb, an #Alabama man accused of sending #DeathThreats to a social media account for the #MaricopaCounty#Elections Dept was charged w/making interstate #threats.
& an #Iowa man was sentenced to 2½yrs in prison for his conviction for threatening Maricopa County Supervisor Clint Hickman & AZ AG Mark Brnovich, both #Republicans.
…In a doc written by Russell & submitted to the court, Russell described his situation at the time he made the #threats, saying he was depressed & angry & that his drug use fueled his isolation.
“All I did was hide in bed all day scrolling thru #socialmedia & #political forums – looking at blogs or anything that could serve as an outlet for my pent up #anger…,” Russell wrote.
Russell also wrote an apology letter to #Hobbs, saying #socialmedia & news stories had become another #addiction for him, but has since taken courses on #anger management & substance abuse.
“I am truly sorry for my actions. I’m not a violent man, I am a broken man. No one should be the target of such disrespectful behavior,”Russell told Hobbs in the letter.
Add comment