By Steve Neavling
A 62-year-old Philadelphia man was indicted on Monday for allegedly threatening to kill a state party official involved in recruiting poll watchers, the Justice Department announced.
John Pollard is accused of sending a series of threatening text messages, including one in which he said he would “skin you alive” and kill the recipient, according to the DOJ.
Pollard was charged federally with transmitting interstate threats due to his use of Apple’s iMessage platform, a crime that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
This case is part of the Election Threats Task Force, a federal initiative that brings together federal, state, and local authorities to enforce laws protecting election workers from threats and harassment.
The victim, an employee of a state political party based in western Pennsylvania, was not identified in the court filings. The messages, allegedly sent by Pollard on the night of Sept. 6, were in response to the victim’s efforts to recruit volunteers as poll observers for the upcoming Election Day.
In one of the three texts, Pollard allegedly threatened, “kill you if you don’t answer me!” Another message said the person’s “days are numbered.” The third, filled with expletives, threatened to “find you and skin you alive and use your skin for” toilet paper.
Threats against election workers surged following the 2020 election, fueled by false claims of widespread voter fraud made by then-President Trump and his supporters. Despite multiple investigations, including those conducted by Republicans, no evidence of fraud significant enough to alter the election results has been found. Yet the threats persist.
Pollard’s political affiliation, as well as the victim’s, were not mentioned in court records. He was indicted on Oct. 16, and the charges were unsealed following his arrest on Monday. Pollard has yet to make a formal court appearance, and no attorney for him was listed in the records.
