Man arrested for allegedly making bomb threat against Arizona state election official

A 38-year-old man from Massachusetts has been arrested and charged after allegedly making a bomb threat against an Arizona state election official.

James Clark has been charged with one count of making a bomb threat, for which he faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. He has also been charged with one count of communicating an interstate threat and one count of perpetuating a bomb hoax, for each of which he could face up to five years in prison.

Clark allegedly looked up online “how to kill” an election official from the Arizona secretary of state’s office, as well as searching the address of the official, on Feb. 14, 2021, according to the indictment against him. It also claimed that he searched “fema boston marathon bombing” and “fema boston marathon bombing plan digital army” online around Feb. 18, 2021.

The indictment further alleges that he sent a message through a web form addressed to the person, saying, “Your attorney general needs to resign by Tuesday February 16th by 9 am or the explosive device impacted in her personal space will be detonated.”

The indictment asserts he sent that message to the official around Feb. 14, 2021. 

The Hill could not immediately reach Clark’s lawyer for comment. 

“Election officials across the country are being threatened regularly for doing their jobs. It’s unconscionable and undermines our democracy. This harassment won’t be tolerated and can’t be normalized. We thank the FBI for their persistence on further investigating this incident,” Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs (D) said in a statement.