Colorado state police arrested a man accused of threatening the state’s top election official, court records showed on Friday, the first such detention since authorities began strengthening laws on election-related threats last year.
Kirk Wertz, 52, was arrested on Wednesday night and placed in Denver’s jail, the records show. He faces a felony charge of “retaliation” against an elected official.
On the morning of June 30, the office of Secretary of State Jena Griswold received a threat from a caller, according to Griswold’s office.
“Hey, I’ve got a message for the Secretary and I want you to pass it along: The angel of death is coming for her in the name of Jesus Christ,” Griswold’s office said the caller stated….