Man Charged Over Alleged Threats to ‘Hang’ Michigan Election Official
A Michigan man has been charged after allegedly threatening to hang a local election official for “treason” during a vote recount last December, prosecutors said Monday.
Andrew Fred Hess, 37, was charged with a false report or threat of terrorism for the alleged remark during a vote recount for the November 2023 local elections. The Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office said that while challenges in the ballot recount were being filed, Hess allegedly walked outside of the room and stated, “hang Joe for treason,” about Director of Elections Joe Rozell.
“We need dedicated, ethical public servants to conduct that process, and to do it transparently—we should invite public scrutiny,” Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said in a press release announcing the charges. “But there are individuals who seek to undermine the integrity of the election process by threatening and intimidating election workers and supervisors. Those threats don’t just impact our election workers, they put our democracy at risk, and they will not be tolerated.”