Massachusetts man pleads guilty to 2021 bomb threats against Arizona Secretary of State’s Office

A Massachusetts man has pleaded guilty to charges that he sent a bomb threat to the Arizona Secretary of State’s office in 2021, the Justice Department announced Friday.

James Clark, of Cape Cod, sent a message to the secretary of state’s office via its website demanding the secretary “resign by Tuesday February 16th by 9 am or the explosive device impacted in her personal space will be detonated,” according to the DOJ. Now-Governor Katie Hobbs (D) served as Arizona secretary of state when Clark made the threats.

“Threatening public officials is a serious matter, never warranted by the situation no matter how heated or politically charged,” Arizona federal prosecutor Gary Restaino said. “Cases like this are important in protecting not only the public official victimized by the conduct, but also the integrity of our election processes as a whole.”

Clark then searched for the secretary’s address and included the term “how to kill,” prosecutors said. He also researched the methods used in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.

He pleaded guilty to making threats, a charge with a maximum sentence of five years. He will be sentenced Oct. 26.

“Defending the rights of Americans, particularly the right to vote, is a fundamental part of the FBI’s mission to protect the American people and uphold the constitution,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement.

“Election workers are dedicated members of our community who have the solemn responsibility of ensuring the integrity of the U.S. voting process. The FBI will fiercely protect election officials from threats of violence and intimidation, and in doing so, protect the fidelity of U.S. elections,” he continued.