State officials in opposite corners of the country said they contacted the FBI after voters in Florida and Alaska received intimidating emails Tuesday pressuring them to reelect President Trump.
The threatening messages seem to have been sent from an email address associated with the Proud Boys. The group’s leader denied it was responsible and claimed he contacted the FBI as well, however.
Images shared online of the emails received Tuesday show they contained similar language warning of repercussions unless the recipient votes for Mr. Trump over Democratic nominee Joseph R. Biden.
“You are currently registered as a Democrat and we know this because we have gained access into the entire voting infrastructure,” the emails read in part.
“You will vote for Trump on Election Day or we will come after you. Change your party affiliation to Republican to let us know you received our message and will comply,” the emails said.
The emails seem to have been sent from “info@officialproudboys.com.” That domain was used in the past by the controversial men-only group, but the site was dropped by its web host weeks earlier.
Proud Boys chairman Enrique Tarrio said on social media that it was a “bold face lie” to blame his controversial men’s group for the emails and that he was “assisting the FBI” in finding the perpetrator.
Officials in states where voters received the messages sent they have been in touch federal authorities as well.
“We are in contact with and working in conjunction with our law enforcement partners at the local, state and federal level, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security,” said Kim Barton, the supervisor of elections for Alachua County in northern Florida.
“If any individual engages in any form of voter intimidation, our office will refer the case to state and federal law enforcement,” she said in a statement, a local CBS affiliate reported Tuesday.
Maria Bahr, assistant attorney general for the Alaska Department of Law, said her office also contacted the FBI about voters in her state received the messages, the Anchorage Daily News reported.
“Though the FBI’s standard practice is to neither confirm nor deny any investigation, we take all election-related threats seriously, whether it is vote fraud, voter suppression or threats from cyber or foreign influence actors,” the FBI told The Washington Times. “We’re committed to supporting our election security partners and protecting our communities as Americans exercise their right to vote.”
Without mentioning the Proud Boys, a top cybersecurity official said Monday on Twitter the agency was “aware of threatening emails” containing misleading information about voter secrecy.
“FACT: Ballot secrecy is guaranteed by law in all states,” tweeted Christopher Krebs, director of the DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
“These emails are meant to intimidate and undermine American voters’ confidence in our elections,” he tweeted.
The Proud Boys got its start in 2016. Its members describe themselves as “proud Western chauvinists,” while its critics have characterized them as dangerous right-wing extremists.
Mr. Biden brought up the Proud Boys during the first presidential debate last month while urging Mr. Trump to denounce white supremacists.
“Proud Boys, stand back and stand by,” Mr. Trump responded.
Voter lists are generally available to the public upon request. Intimidating voters is a federal offense and carries up to a one-year imprisonment upon conviction.
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