OLYMPIA — The Washington secretary of state’s office has reported a “doxxing” threat made against one of its workers as attempts continue to intimidate elections officials and politicians in both major political parties for administering the vote that led to President Donald Trump’s loss.
Republican Secretary of State Kim Wyman’s office learned of the threat over the weekend made against Elections Director Lori Augino, according to spokesperson Kylee Zabel.
It was posted on a website describing “enemies of the people.” The site features photos and notes on elected officials and elections workers, along with home addresses and contact information.
“The following individuals have aided and abetted the fraudulent election against Trump,” the post states, and: “Changing votes and working against the President is treason and patriotic Americans should never forget those who helped overthrow our democracy! Let’s make sure this list is distributed to everyone.”
Augino’s home address and some contact information were posted on the site, as well as a photo of her with crosshairs superimposed over it and a note about her leadership role in a national association for elections directors.
The post concluded with “Your days are numbered” and a timer clock that was ticking down.
State officials have notified the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the state Fusion Center — a collaboration among law enforcement agencies sharing information about criminal activity — of the website, Zabel said in an email.
Washington State Patrol spokesperson Chris Loftis wrote in an email that the agency is “aware of the threats, are monitoring the situation, and assigning resources accordingly.”
On Friday night, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit supported by Trump to overturn Democratic President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. It was one of dozens of lawsuits dismissed by judges around the nation for making unsubstantiated allegations of widespread election fraud or abuse.
In Washington, GOP governor candidate Loren Culp, who has claimed without evidence of fraud in his loss to Gov. Jay Inslee, has sued Wyman. That legal challenge has not provided substantive evidence to back the allegations, which have been rejected as false by county elections officials and Wyman.
In addition to targeting Augino, the website also posted photos and personal information for Georgia’s Republican secretary of state, as well as the GOP governors of Arizona and Georgia, and the Democratic governors of Michigan and Nevada, among others.
Also targeted were FBI Director Chris Wray and Chris Krebs, the DHS official recently fired by Trump who led the administration’s efforts to ward off elections interference.
House GOP Minority Leader J.T. Wilcox of Yelm and Senate Republican Leader John Braun of Centralia on Monday issued a statement denouncing the threat.
“We have recently seen shocking evidence of a threat to a Washington state election official — including a picture, home address and personal contact information — on a national website,” according to the joint statement. “The harassment and threats to state election officials must stop. We categorically denounce these actions and any threats of political violence.
“We continue to have confidence in the 2020 election results in our state and the work of Secretary of State Kim Wyman and her staff over the last several years,” the statement continued. “As always, we believe all credible allegations of election fraud — no matter how small or large — need to be brought forward and investigated. And anyone who breaks the law should be held accountable for their actions.”
The threat comes as political tensions in Olympia remain elevated weeks after the Nov. 3 election. Since then, the Capitol has seen regular demonstrations between supporters and foes of Trump. Those clashes led to a shooting in Olympia on Saturday, as well as a shooting earlier this month.