Indiana man indicted in threats against Rochester Hills clerk over 2020 election results
Detroit — A federal indictment unsealed Friday charged an Indiana man with threatening to kill former Rochester Hills Clerk Tina Barton for defending the integrity of the 2020 presidential election, telling her that more than 10 million patriots "will surround you when you least expect it."
The bare-bones indictment unsealed Friday charges Andrew Nickels, 37, of Carmel, Ind., with transmitting threats in interstate commerce. The charge carries a maximum five-year prison sentence.
"We're watching your...mouth talk about how you think that there's no irregularities...you frauded out America of a real election," Nickels said in a voicemail message on Nov. 10, 2020, according to the indictment. "Ten million plus patriots will surround you when you least expect it, and your little infantile Deep State security agency has no time to protect you because they'll be bought out and we'll f------ kill you."
The threat is the latest act of alleged antigovernment extremism in Michigan targeting politicians in the aftermath of Donald Trump's loss in the 2020 election. In recent weeks, grand juries and federal prosecutors in Michigan have filed charges against people for issuing threats against President Joe Biden, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, other Democratic politicians, law enforcement officers members of the LGBTQ+ and Jewish communities.
Barton, a Republican, was Rochester Hills clerk and oversaw elections in the Oakland County community from 2013 to early 2021. She later worked as a senior advisor for U.S. Election Assistance Commission and serves as a senior election expert with The Elections Group.
"(You) will f------ pay for your f------ lying ass remarks," Nickels is quoted as saying. "Watch your f------ back."
Barton declined comment Friday.
Barton is not identified by name in the indictment. Instead, Nickels is accused of threatening a clerk identified by the initials "T.B."
The day Nickels allegedly issued the threat, Nov. 10, 2020, was one week after the presidential election. On that date, a Washington Post story referenced a video Barton posted on Twitter.
In the video, Barton responded to claims by Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel that 2,000 Republican ballots in Rochester Hills, Mich., had been “given to Democrats . . . due to a clerical error.”
Barton responded by saying "that McDaniel was referring to an 'isolated mistake that was quickly rectified' and called her allegation 'categorically false,'" according to the story.
Come back to www.detroitnews.com for more on this developing story.
rsnell@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @robertsnellnews