Individual Admits to Sending Bomb Threat to Election Official Across the Country

A Massachusetts man has pleaded guilty to sending a bomb threat to an Arizona state election official in early 2021, according to an announcement made by the Justice Department on Friday.

James W. Clark, aged 38, was accused of targeting the unnamed official by sending a message through a contact form on the Arizona secretary of state’s website.

Prosecutors state that on February 14, 2021, Clark sent a note which read, “Your attorney general needs to resign by Tuesday, February 16th, at 9 am, or the explosive device placed in her personal space will be detonated.”

At the time, the attorney general of Arizona was Republican Mark Brnovich, but it is unclear who Clark was specifically targeting.

Court records reveal that Clark was initially arrested and later released on personal recognizance during the summer.

This threat is just one among many that emerged following the 2020 election, especially in states like Arizona, where former President Donald Trump disputed his loss by spreading baseless theories about election procedures. An Iowa man who was accused of targeting Brnovich and another Arizona election official pleaded guilty in April, claiming to be “a victim of a crime” involving “theft of the 2020 election.”

However, it was later reported that Brnovich had taken steps to support Trump by allegedly burying findings from investigators, which revealed that Arizona’s election integrity was not under threat. He was succeeded earlier this year by Democrat Kris Mayes, who has pledged to protect voting rights.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland established an Election Threats Task Force in the summer of 2021, a few months after assuming office following the January 6th attack on the Capitol in Washington.

As Clark’s guilty plea was announced, Attorney General Garland stated, “Americans who dedicate themselves to administering our voting systems should not have to fear for their lives simply for doing their jobs. This case exemplifies the Justice Department’s commitment to investigating and prosecuting federal law violations targeting election officials and workers. By safeguarding those who oversee the electoral process, we can ensure the protection of the right to vote itself.”