PHOENIX, Arizona – An Iowa man pleaded guilty on Friday to sending threatening communications to an election official on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and to an official with the Office of the Arizona Attorney General. The threats come in the wake of the 2020 election, which former President Donald Trump and Fox News have falsely claimed was stolen.
Mark A. Rissi, 64, of Hiawatha, Iowa, admitted in court to leaving menacing voicemail messages for Clint Hickman, an election official with the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, on September 27, 2021, and for then-Attorney General of Arizona Mark Brnovich on December 8, 2021. In both messages, Rissi threatened violence against the officials.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division emphasized that election workers must be able to perform their duties without fear of illegal threats. U.S. Attorney Gary M. Restaino for the District of Arizona praised Arizona’s public servants for their dedication to administering elections with integrity.
The FBI Phoenix Field Office investigated the case, and Rissi pleaded guilty to two counts of making a threatening interstate communication. Scheduled to be sentenced on June 26, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The guilty plea highlights the ongoing efforts of the Election Threats Task Force, which aims to hold individuals accountable for making unlawful threats against election workers. The FBI has made election security one of its highest national security priorities, working to address allegations of election interference, fraud, and intimidation.