Ned Staebler | Facebook
Ned Staebler | Facebook
Threats aimed at Republican Wayne County Board of Canvassers members are under investigation by the Michigan Attorney General's Office.
“We will investigate any credible complaints of threats to government officials, elected or appointed, and will prosecute criminal conduct to the fullest extent of the law,” Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement. “Serving the people – regardless of party – is an honorable but sometimes difficult and thankless task. And while many of us have been subjected to hateful and often obscene insults, threats of violence and harm will not be tolerated.”
The threat comes after board member Ned Staebler, who himself admitted only 72 percent of the county’s vote could be properly verified, publicly called fellow board members Monica Palmer and William Hartmann racists.
Staebler, a Democrat, is vice president for economic development at Wayne State University and the president and CEO of TechTown. He is locked deeply into the fibers of the Democratic Party as the leader of two political action committees and has been accused of posting highly incendiary partisan content to twitter.
Palmer and Hartmann both have reported receiving death threats following their votes last week.
The pair first voted against certifying the vote due to irregularities. Citing outside pressure both switched their votes the next day to allow certification.
Both Palmer and Hartmann tried to unsuccessfully to pull back their votes again later.
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