An individual from Indiana, Andrew Nickels, has been given a 14-month prison sentence after admitting to making a threatening statement directed at a local election official in Michigan shortly after the 2020 election. The sentencing was carried out by a federal judge who found Nickels guilty of threatening to harm Tina Barton, who was the clerk in Rochester Hills, Michigan, at the time. This incident involved Nickels leaving a threatening voicemail on November 10, 2020, accusing Barton of fraud and expressing violent intentions towards her for asserting that there were no irregularities in the 2020 election.
The threat occurred in a context where former President Donald Trump claimed there were election irregularities in Michigan and other states following his defeat in the 2020 election. Despite investigations by Michigan Republican lawmakers revealing no widespread fraud, affirming Biden’s victory in the state, Nickels proceeded with his alarming behavior towards Barton. Barton, in a victim impact statement, highlighted the trauma inflicted and emphasized the importance of election officials carrying out their duties without fear.
Barton currently serves as the vice chair of the Committee for Safe and Secure Elections, a national organization aiming to ensure election integrity. The committee’s chair, Paul Penzone, conveyed that Nickels’ sentencing should serve as a deterrent to those contemplating threats against election officials. While prosecutors pushed for a 24-month sentence citing terrorism concerns, Nickels’ defense attorney argued against incarceration, noting his client’s lack of prior criminal history and mental health circumstances during the offense in 2008.
