The Anti-Defamation League and the Phoenix Metropolitan Jewish Community Relations Council on Monday denounced comments by a Maricopa County Republican leader, recorded on video, who said he would kill Maricopa County Recorder Steven Richer, a key election official seeking reelection.
On the same day, Richer posted a video to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) of Shelby Bush, first vice chair of the Maricopa County Republican Committee and a conservative activist, telling an audience that she would “lynch” Richer if he walked into a room.
In the video, Bush contrasts Richer, who is Jewish and a Republican, with a man in the audience who he says is a “good Christian who believes the same things we do.” Bush said he could “unite” with anyone who agreed to “run a campaign for a good Christian foundation.”
“But if Steven Richer walked into this room, I would lynch him,” Bush said. “I will not unite with people who do not believe in the principles we believe in and the American cause that founded this country.”
The Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Phoenix said in a joint statement that they were “appalled by these vile remarks.” “X's extremists have fanned her hatred of Jews with fervor,” the statement said.
The groups called on Bush to retract his comments and apologize, and said “the Maricopa County Republican Party opposes such statements.”
This clip is at 12 minutes and 28 seconds. The video was posted three months ago on Rumble, a video-sharing site popular among conservatives. According to information accompanying the video, the video was filmed on March 20 at an event in Mesa with Jerone Davison, a Republican candidate running to represent Arizona's 4th Congressional District.
Donald Hiatt, Richer's Republican opponent for recorder, took the stage after Bush and distanced himself from Bush's comments, according to the Rumble video, saying he wasn't trying to “get rid” of Richer, just fill in for him.
In a post on X, Richer said Bush's comments were neither “sound” nor “responsible.”
“We certainly don't want that to be part of the Republican Party,” Richer said.
Bush did not respond to a request for comment Monday evening, nor did Craig Berland, executive chairman of the Maricopa County Republican Committee.
The Maricopa County Attorney's Office said no case related to Bush's threats against Richer have been submitted for investigation by law enforcement. “In general, we take any statements of a threatening nature very seriously,” a spokesman said.
A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Arizona said they were aware of the video.
“We, along with our law enforcement partners, take election-related threats extremely seriously,” spokesman Zach Stobe said. “We have no further comment at this time.”
Richer could not be reached Monday evening.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Arizona has repeatedly warned about threats against election workers. In March, U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino said Arizona had become a “target” for election intimidation.
Restaino said seven of the roughly 18 cases of federal election-related threats across the country have targeted Arizona officials.
Restaino said at the time that all of the lawsuits involved out-of-state individuals “threatening Arizonans,” although the most recent two were filed against individuals in Alabama and California.
John Keller of the Justice Department's Public Integrity Division said at a press conference that Arizona election officials faced “intense and hostile attacks” despite being diligent and performing their duties.
Reporter Richard Ruelas contributed to this story.
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