A Massachusetts man, James W. Clark, pleaded guilty on Friday to making a bomb threat to an Arizona election official. Clark had searched online for the official’s address and name, along with the words “how to kill.” According to the U.S. Justice Department, he utilized a contact form on the Arizona Secretary of State’s election division website to send the threat on February 14, 2021.
In the message, Clark demanded that the official resign by Tuesday, February 16th, or else an explosive device in her personal space would be detonated. Prosecutors also revealed that Clark had searched for information about the Boston Marathon bombings a few days later, in which three people lost their lives in 2013.
During the time of the threat, the Arizona secretary of state was Katie Hobbs, who currently serves as the governor. After Clark’s arrest in July 2022, Hobbs’s office stated that she was the target of the bomb threat, which was one among thousands of threats she received following the 2020 presidential election. However, neither Hobbs’s office nor Clark’s lawyer could be reached for immediate comment.
It is worth noting that threats against election workers and officials have increased since former President Donald J. Trump propagated false claims of election fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Conspiracy theorists aligned with Trump alleged, without evidence, that the Arizona election was tainted by fraud, despite a review conducted by Mark Brnovich, the former Arizona attorney general, which discredited these claims. Political violence experts attribute the rise in threats and attacks to the use of dehumanizing and apocalyptic language, particularly by right-wing politicians and media.
In response to Clark’s guilty plea, U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland emphasized the Justice Department’s commitment to investigating and prosecuting illegal acts against election officials and workers. He expressed that those who administer voting systems should not fear for their lives while performing their duties.
Clark has pleaded guilty to one count of making a threatening interstate communication and could face up to five years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for October 26.
The FBI field offices in Phoenix and Boston are collaborating on the investigation of Clark’s case. This investigation falls under the Election Threats Task Force, established by the Justice Department in June 2021 to address threats targeting election workers.
Surveys conducted by the Brennan Center for Justice revealed that one in six local election officials had personally experienced threats, and nearly a third of officials knew an election worker who had left their job due to safety concerns, threats, or intimidation.
Overall, this case highlights the serious nature of threats against election officials and underscores the need for measures to protect those who serve the public through administering our voting systems.
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