Kiera Riley And Nick Phillips
Arizona Capitol Times
Attorney General Kris Mayes announced her office filed charges against an Arizona man who allegedly sent a threatening email to Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates days after the midterm election.
The state charged 44-year-old Ryan Stuart Hadland on one count of use of an electronic communication to terrify, intimidate, threaten or harass. If found guilty, Hadland faces up to six months in jail and a $2,500 fine.
The charging document, dated May 31 and made public on Tuesday, doesn’t provide text or other details about the message that Hadland sent, other than stating that it included a threat “to inflict physical harm.”
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office carried out the investigation that led to the case, according to a news release from the AG’s Office.
The Hadland case isn’t the first targeting people who’ve threatened Arizona election workers, but it’s notable because it’s the first time a state official – not federal prosecutors – has brought charges for election-related threats. It also comes weeks after Gates spoke publicly about the PTSD he’s suffered as a result of harassment by people who question Arizona’s election – and blame Gates and others for what they think is wrong.
In November 2022, shortly after that month’s election, Mayes talked about her stance on election-related threats.
