An Ohio man has been sentenced to 2.5 years in prison for threatening to kill Arizona governor Katie Hobbs in 2022.
Joshua Russell, aged 44, received a federal court sentence on Monday after pleading guilty to sending threatening messages to the former Arizona Secretary of State. The messages were sent between August 2, 2022, and November 15, 2022.
During that time, Ms. Hobbs held the position of the state’s highest election official and was also in the midst of a gubernatorial campaign, running against Kari Lake, who was known for her affiliation with Donald Trump.
Prosecutors allege that between August and the conclusion of the 2022 midterm elections, a resident of Bucyrus, Ohio named Russell repeatedly contacted the Arizona Secretary of State’s office with threats to harm and potentially kill Ms. Hobbs.
He labeled her as a traitor, issued a warning about an impending “war,” accused her of being a communist, and asserted that she was engaging in election fraud.
After winning the governor’s race against Ms. Lake, Ms. Hobbs faced a series of threatening calls from Russell. He repeatedly made death threats, labelling her as a traitor and a criminal.
US District Judge Steven Logan commended Mr Russell for actively participating in rehabilitation for substance abuse and seeking therapy following his arrest. However, despite these efforts, the judge determined that a prison term was still warranted due to the threats made against Ms Hobbs.
According to a written document presented to the court, Mr. Russell revealed that he had been confined to his home, consumed by political forums and social media debates. He admitted that he channeled his pent-up anger through the toxic atmosphere of the US political landscape.
“I spent the entire day in bed, scrolling through social media and political forums. It was my way of finding an outlet for the anger and pain I had been bottling up,” he expressed.
