Women’s Group Calls on Law Enforcement to Investigate GA Rep. Jason Spencer for Violent Threats Against Black Attorney
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, August 31, 2017
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Women’s Group Calls on Law Enforcement to Investigate Georgia Rep. Jason Spencer for Threats of Violence Against Black Attorney
GOP State Rep. Jason Spencer Warned Former State Rep. LaDawn Jones That She May ‘Go Missing’ For Protesting Confederate Statues
GEORGIA — On Wednesday, August 29th, Georgia state Rep. Jason Spencer threatened former colleague LaDawn Jones that she and others supporting the removal of state-sponsored Confederate monuments and landmarks could “go missing” for position. In an exchange posted on Facebook, Spencer said “Continue your quixotic journey into South Georgia and it will not be pleasant,” adding “I can guarantee you won’t be met with torches but something a lot more definitive,” and “They will go missing in the Okefenokee [swamp]… Too many necks they are red around here. Don’t say I didn’t warn you about ’em.”
In reaction to Rep. Jason Spencer’s threats, Nita Chaudhary, co-founder of UltraViolet, called on state law enforcement officials to investigate Spencer, explaining:
“Police in Georgia need to treat Rep. Jason Spencer’s threats of violence against LaDawn Jones for what they are: threats of violence against a Black woman for having political opinions that differ from his own. Georgia has a long history of racially-motivated violence against Black people and to dismiss Spencer’s comments as mere political posturing would be a disservice to the hundreds of Black men and women who died in Georgia fighting for civil rights.
“With memories of white supremacist violence in Charlottesville still fresh in everyone’s mind, Rep. Spencer should know better – and law enforcement should not treat these as mere idle threats.
“No one in America should ever be met with threats of violence for expressing a political opinion, especially threats of violence from an elected official. Law enforcement should investigate Rep. Jason Spencer’s comments thoroughly and make it clear that any threat of racially-motivated violence will be met with the full force of the justice system.”
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