An Alabama man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for threatening to harm the Fulton County district attorney and Fulton County sheriff for bringing charges against and booking former President Donald Trump.
The man left troubling voicemails on the officials’ telephones, which suggested something could happen to harm them or end their lives.
One of the district attorney’s voicemails said, “Watch it when you’re going to the car at night when you’re going into your house, watch everywhere that you’re going,” and stated she should be “very afraid” because she “can’t be” protected all the time.
The Department of Justice announced the indictment of Huntsville native Arthur Ray Hanson II for threatening Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat in August 2023.
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The two became the 59-year-old’s target after she moved to investigate Trump for his role in pushing officials to overturn Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results, according to the charging documents against Hanson. After Trump’s indictment, Labat’s department booked the former president at Atlanta’s Fulton County Jail, where his widely seen mug shot was taken.
In August, Willis indicted Trump and 18 co-defendants on racketeering charges related to attempts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election. Currently, four of the defendants have pleaded guilty and agreed to testify in the case, while the remaining co-defendants, including Trump, have entered not-guilty pleas.
Hanson called the Fulton County Government customer services line two times, leaving voicemails on Aug. 6, federal prosecutors say.
“If you think you gonna take a mug shot of my President Donald Trump and it’s gonna be OK, you gonna find out that after you take that mug shot, some bad [expletive]’s probably gonna happen to you,” Hanson allegedly said in one message to the sheriff, adding, “You’re the reason it happened, some bad [expletive]’s gonna happen to you.”
The voicemail later said Labat’s actions meant he was going to “[expletive] up” his life, which would cause him to “get hurt real bad.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the voicemail left for Willis was a lot more explicit in detailing the potential harm that could come her way. It told her to watch out when she gets into her vehicle at night or to be careful when she goes into her home.
“Watch everywhere that you’re going,” the recording said.
It also said, “I would be very afraid if I were you because you can’t be around people all the time that are going to protect you … there’s gonna be moments when you’re gonna be vulnerable.”
U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan said that what Hanson did was a “vile act intended to interfere with the administration of justice and intimidate individuals who accept a solemn duty to protect and safeguard the rights of citizens.”
Willis’ office has declined to comment on Hanson’s indictment, but the sheriff has released a statement.
“Threats of harm were directed towards me and District Attorney Willis for simply doing our job,” Labat said. “I will continue to fulfill the mission of the Sheriff’s Office: ‘Service’ and serve the citizens of Fulton County with the utmost integrity.”
Hanson made his first court appearance on Oct. 25 at the federal court in his hometown. His formal arraignment will take place in Atlanta on Nov. 13.
