‘I can’t begin to explain the level of anger I have right now over this’: Georgia election official speaks out about threats against staff
On Tuesday Gabriel Sterling of the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office spoke forcefully against post-election threats and rhetoric directed at election staff.
Video Transcript
GABRIEL STERLING: I'm going to do my best to keep it together because it all gone too far, all of it. Joe diGenova today asked for Chris Krebs, a patriot who ran CSA, to be shot. A 20-something tech in Gwinnett County today has death threats and a noose put out saying he should be hung for treason because he was transferring a report on batches from an EMS to a county computer so he could read it. It has to stop.
Mr. President, you have not condemned these actions or this language. Senators, you have not condemned this language or these actions. This has to stop. We need you to step up, and if you're going to take a position of leadership, show some.
My boss, Secretary Raffensberger his address is out there. They have people doing caravans in front of their house. They've had people come onto their property. Tricia, his wife of 40 years, is getting sexualized threats through her cell phone. It has to stop.
This is elections. This is the backbone of democracy, and all of you who have not said a damn word are complicit in this. It's too much. Yes, fight for every legal vote. Go through your due process. We encourage you. Use your First Amendment. That's fine.
Death threats, physical threats, intimidation, it's too much. It's not right. They've lost the moral high ground to claim that it is.
I don't have all the best words to do this because I'm angry. And the straw that broke the camel's back today is, again, this 20-year-old contractor for a voting-system company just trying to do his job, just there-- in fact, I talked to Dominion today, and they said he's one of the better ones they've got. His family's getting harassed now. There's a noose out there with his name on it, and it's just not right.
I've got police protection outside my house. Fine. You know, I took a higher-profile job. I get it. Secretary ran for office. His wife knew that too. This kid took a job. He just took a job. It's just wrong. I can't begin to explain the level of anger I have right now over this.
