An Iowa man has pleaded guilty to making threats to a local election official in Arizona and the state’s former attorney general, Mark Brnovich.
Mark A. Rissi, 64, of Hiawatha, Iowa, is scheduled to be sentenced on June 26 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each count.
According to court documents, on or about Sept. 27, 2021, Rissi said the following in a voicemail message he left for Clint Hickman, an election official with the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors:
“Hello Mr. Hickman, I am glad that you are standing up for democracy and want to place your hand on the Bible and say that the election was honest and fair. I really appreciate that. When we come to lynch your stupid lying Commie [expletive], you’ll remember that you lied on the [expletive] Bible, you piece of [expletive]. You’re gonna die, you piece of [expletive]. We’re going to hang you. We’re going to hang you.”
Additionally, on or about Dec. 8, 2021, Rissi said the following in a voicemail message he left for then-Attorney General of Arizona Mark Brnovich:
“This message is for Attorney General Mark Brnovich. … I’m a victim of a crime. My family is a victim of a crime. My extended family is a victim of a crime. That crime was the theft of the 2020 election. The election that was fraudulent across the state of Arizona, that the Attorney General knows was fraudulent, that the Attorney General has images of the conspirators deleting election fraud data from the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors computer system. Do your job, Brnovich, or you will hang with those [expletive] in the end. We will see to it. Torches and pitchforks. That’s your future, [expletive]. Do your job.”
This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. The task force, launched in 2021, has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation.
“Public officials who administer the most fundamental aspect of our democracy – elections – must be able to do their jobs free from illegal threats,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “As today’s guilty plea demonstrates, our Election Threats Task Force, working with partners across the nation, will continue to hold accountable those who unlawfully threaten election workers.”
“I’m proud of Arizona’s public servants who administer elections with integrity,” said Gary M. Restaino, U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona. “When the people speak at the ballot box, all Americans should respect their voices.”
“As part of the FBI’s mission to defend the democratic process, we are equipped with the expertise to respond to allegations of election interference – whether by fraud, cyber intrusion, or in this case, intimidation,” said FBI Phoenix Field Office Special Agent in Charge Akil Davis. “Election security is and will continue to be one of the FBI’s highest national security priorities.”
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Chris Graham
