Iowa man who threatened to kill Arizona officials sentenced to 2 years in prison

An Iowa man was sentenced to two and a half years in prison Monday after pleading guilty to making threats targeting Maricopa County Supervisor Clint Hickman and former Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich.

Mark Rissi of Hiawatha, Iowa, was arrested in October and charged with three counts of interstate threatening communication, according to federal court documents.

He left an expletive-filled voicemail on Sept. 27, 2021, telling Hickman that he and others were going to "lynch" him for "lying" about the 2020 election results, court documents show.

"When we come to lynch your stupid lying Commie (expletive), you’ll remember that you lied," Rissi said in the voicemail, per court documents. "You’re gonna die. ... We’re going to hang you. We’re going to hang you."

He left another voicemail with the Arizona Attorney General's Office on Dec. 8, 2021, court documents show.

"Do your job ... or you will hang," he told Brnovich, according to court documents. "We will see to it. Torches and pitchforks. That's your future."

Hickman, who took the stand on Monday to talk about the emotional impact of Rissi's threats on him and his family, asked the judge to show mercy in his sentencing. Rissi also professed remorse. But U.S. District Judge Dominic Lanza sentenced Rissi to the maximum possible amount of time behind bars — six months longer than requested by federal prosecutors.

"I think the judge wanted to make a point that democracy is under attack with these sorts of behavior," Hickman said after the sentencing.

"This is bigger than just making a death threat to a supervisor in a podunk county," he added. "This is a direct assault on democracy and chasing people away from working in elections. So he wanted to send a statement, and I think he did."

An attorney for Rissi did not immediately respond to The Republic's request for comment.

For subscribers: Threats, technical issues on Election Day 2022 captured in Arizona poll workers' reports

Federal officials continue to prosecute threats against election officials

Rissi is one of several people prosecuted in federal court for threatening Arizona election officials.

Just weeks ago, a Massachusetts man pleaded guilty to sending a bomb threat to the Arizona Secretary of State's Office on Valentine's Day 2021. After sending the message, according to federal investigators, the man searched online for a state election official's name, “address,” and “how to kill.”

In early August, a Texas man was sentenced to three and half years in prison for threatening two Maricopa County officials and their families in relation to the 2022 election.

"I’m willing to take lives. That’s the difference. If you’re being unfairly and illegally persecuted, it’s built right into the constitution that you are supposed to protect yourself against a tyrannical government. This mean(s) their children are not off limits, either," the man wrote on Gab, according to charging documents.

Hickman said he hopes that criminal cases against those who threaten public officials over election conspiracies will help "put this stuff to bed."

"I certainly hope that this is over for me and my family," he said. "I don't know if it is. But at least in this case, he's been told not to make contact."

Sasha Hupka covers county government and election administration for The Arizona Republic. Do you have a tip to share on elections or voting? Reach her at sasha.hupka@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @SashaHupka. Follow her on Instagram or Threads: @sashahupkasnaps.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Man who threatened to kill Arizona officials gets maximum sentence