Georgia Elections Official: 'Someone's Going to Get Killed'

Gabriel Sterling calls on Trump to stop inciting supporters
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 2, 2020 6:43 AM CST
Updated Dec 2, 2020 7:21 AM CST

The voting implementation manager with the Georgia Secretary of State's office is angry, and thinks every American should be, too. Not over claims of voter fraud—though Gabriel Sterling had plenty to say about that during a Tuesday press conference, which went viral almost as soon as it wrapped—but over death threats attributed to such false claims. "This has to stop!" the Republican said, his fist pounding on the lectern. He noted a 20-year-old contractor working on the recount in Gwinnett County had received death threats involving a noose after a video purported to show him manipulating data. He was actually "transferring a report on batches from an EMS to a county computer so he could read it," but "his family is getting harassed now," Sterling said, per NPR. He went on to urge President Trump to "stop inspiring people to commit acts of violence" because "someone's going to get killed."

He mentioned a Trump campaign lawyer calling for a former White House cybersecurity official to be shot on Monday, per WXIA. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger's wife has also received threats and "caravans of horn-honking Trump supporters" have been driving past the couple's home, where police are stationed, per NPR. Sterling said the president and senators who've been attacking Georgia's election system "have not condemned these actions or this language." Indeed, he said Trump had called Raffensperger an "enemy of the people," which "helped open the floodgates to this kind of crap," per the AP. "If you're going to take a position of leadership, show some," Sterling added. Responding to a viral video of the presser, Trump repeated unproven claims of voter fraud. However, campaigns for Trump and Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler did issue statements condemning violence. (More Georgia stories.)

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