Local Missouri official accuses Georgia lawmaker of treason for rejecting Trump claims
A mid-Missouri county official accused a Georgia state senator of treason in a Facebook post and said it is “punishable by death.”
Cole County Assessor Christopher Estes, a Republican, made the comment in response to Georgia state Sen. Elena Parent, a Democrat who has rebutted baseless allegations of voter fraud in the presidential election.
The comment by Estes, on a Dec. 4 post by Parent that drew more than a thousand responses, said that if President-elect Joe Biden is successful, the government will be one of “who can cheat best.”
“What you have done is enable a coup,” Estes wrote. “Illegally removing a legally elected President. Pretty sure that is treason. Punishable by death. I pray to God that these treasonous individuals are uncovered and legally convicted in a court of law.”
In an interview, Estes stood by the comments. He said that if Parent was intentionally trying to subvert the election, it’s treason, “but it may not be to somebody else.”
“I would never be a proponent of mob violence,” Estes said.
He said as an election official, it’s his responsibility to speak out. But he also said he spoke as a private citizen, not as the Cole County assessor.
Decaturish, a website covering Decatur, Ga., first reported on the post on Monday.
Parent said on Twitter she has received a “torrent of abuse, attacks & death threats” since questioning President Donald Trump’s allegation of electoral fraud. Estes said his wife had received threatening phone calls since his post was publicized.
This story was originally published December 9, 2020 at 11:01 AM.
