LANSING, MI – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Tuesday that her office is investigating threats of violence against members of the Wayne County Canvassers Board.
The announcement comes a day after Republican clerk Monica Palmer, who originally opposed verifying the county’s election results, described receiving graphically violent images alongside images of a family member.
“We will investigate possible credible complaints of threats elected or appointed by government officials, and we will hold the law fully accountable for the crimes,” Nessel said in a statement. “Serving people, regardless of party, is an honorable but sometimes difficult and ungrateful task. And while many of us have been subjected to hateful and often obscene insults, the threat of violence and harm is not tolerated. “
The investigation began shortly after the county meeting on Tuesday, November 17, according to a publication in Nessel’s office. Palmer and his partner, Wayne County Republican attorney William Hartmann, originally opposed the certification before they both agreed to the certification if an audit were conducted to detect that 70% of Detroit’s districts have ballot books that are out of balance with votes.
Palmer described the intimidation and threats at a meeting of the Michigan State Board Canvassers on Monday, Nov. 23, which also included graphic messages on Palmer’s phone, he said.
Read more: Canvassers Board Confirms Michigan Election Results
“I received text messages with graphic photos of naked, dead women and photos of my daughter, letting me know this was going to happen to my daughter,” she said, calling her a terrorist and saying she had to be my family. afraid for their lives. “
Republican state clerk Norm Shinkle, who prompted Palmer to talk about the harassment at Monday’s meeting, said he was “unprepared” for the “graphic nature” of the threats to his family. He abstained from voting to certify the national election results, which passed 3-0.
No one should receive such threats, said State Senator Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak.
“We have received terrible threats to our office, to myself, to the staff.” This shouldn’t happen to anyone, ”he wrote on Twitter.
Palmer faced hours of criticism after his initial vote on Nov. 17, including a charge of racism, after proposing that the vote of all Wayne County communities except Detroit be justified. Livonia also showed significant problems in unbalanced areas.
The population of Detroit is predominantly black, and the population of Livonia is predominantly white. At a press conference on Friday, November 20, he said he had not yet seen a comprehensive list of results when he made that comment, and suggested that Livonia’s results be checked before certification.
Read more: Wayne County attorney explains his opposition to verifying election results
“Livonia also had a problem,” he said. – I talked about the cuff.
After Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson told MSNBC that the Canvasser Wayne County Council’s request for independent scrutiny was not legally binding, Palmer signed a statement calling for her vote back to verify the county’s election results.
“This is not about the presidential election,” Palmer said on Nov. 20. “I voted against to ensure the counting of Detroit voters. The motion for certification depended on whether it was prepared prior to the comprehensive audit before the election results were finalized.”
Palmer said his decision to cancel the vote was not meant to deprive anyone of “giving the state 10 days to investigate why the districts were unbalanced.”
Specific complaints about election fraud, misinformation, or threats against government officials can be emailed to the Attorney General’s Office, according to a publication in Nessel’s office.
More information from MLive:
Chatfield warns of a constitutional crisis the day the state body meets to justify the election
Michigan’s legislative leaders have been invited to the White House by President Trump
Trump praises Wayne County Council for initial pre-vote deadlocks to justify election results
Wayne County Republican seekers should vote in reverse to verify election results
