A Michigan man is facing a serious felony charge after he allegedly made a threat to hang an Oakland County election official during a recount of local elections. Andrew Hess, 37, is accused of stating "hang Joe for treason," a comment aimed at Joe Rozell, the county's elections director, during the December 15 recount, as reported by The Detroit News. His words have landed him with a charge that could lead to a prison term of up to 20 years, and, or a fine of up to $20,000.
Hess's comment was overheard outside of the recount room, causing alarm amid the already tense environment of election scrutiny, according to the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office. Following the incident at the County Complex in Pontiac, another individual reported Hess's statement to law enforcement. The case embodies a broader tension as election officials nationwide face increased risks and challenges, which, authorities assert, are fanned by aggressive rhetoric and unfounded claims of electoral fraud. The Oakland County Prosecutor, Karen McDonald, emphasized that "Those threats don’t just impact our election workers, they put our democracy at risk, and they will not be tolerated," according to The Detroit News.
In the aftermath of the contentious 2020 presidential election results, Hess's words did not exist in a vacuum. The threat is part of a gallery of instances where election workers have found themselves the targets of intense vitriol and threats, especially in key battleground states like Michigan where erroneous claims of voter fraud have persisted among some groups. The recount where Hess made the statement concerned a Royal Oak ballot proposal about ranked-choice voting, which narrowly passed, according to the Oakland County prosecutor’s office.
Despite Hess's claims to protected speech under the First Amendment, which his lawyer, Robert Muise of the American Freedom Law Center, argued should shield him from prosecution, McDonald has declared an unwavering stance. "I will do everything within my power to hold those who make such threats accountable,” McDonald said reflecting a sentiment shared by Oakland County Clerk Lisa Brown, who underscored that not all speech is protected, "like yelling ‘fire’ in a crowded movie theater," according to a statement given to The Oakland Press. No further details regarding the bond or next court date have been released as the case moves forward. According to a report by Patch, the charge reinforces the position that legal consequences await those who cross the line from protected political speech to perceived threats against public servants.
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