'I would lynch him': Maricopa County Republican party vice chair threatens recorder

The Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Phoenix on Monday condemned remarks by a Republican leader in Maricopa County who was captured on video saying she would kill Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, a key election administrator who is up for reelection.

Earlier in the day, Richer posted a video on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, of Shelby Busch, the first vice chair of the Maricopa County Republican Committee and a conservative activist, telling an audience that if Richer walked into the room, she would "lynch him."

In the video, Busch contrasts Richer, who is Jewish and a Republican, against a man in the audience who she says is a "good Christian man that believes what we believe." She said she could find "unity" with someone who agrees to "run a good Christian foundation campaign."

"But if Stephen Richer walked in this room, I would lynch him," Busch said. "I don't unify with people who don't believe in the principles we believe in and the American cause that founded this country."

In a joint statement, the Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Phoenix said they were "appalled at these vile remarks." The "extremists on X enthusiastically amplified her Jew-hatred," the statement said.

The groups urged Busch to retract her statements and apologize and asked "the Maricopa County Republican Party to stand against such rhetoric."

The clip is contained within a 12-minute, 28-second video posted three months ago on the video-sharing site Rumble, which is popular among conservatives. Information accompanying the video says it was filmed on March 20 at an event in Mesa with Jerone Davison, a Republican candidate in the race to represent Arizona’s 4th Congressional District.

Donald Hiatt, who is facing Richer in the Republican primary election for recorder, took the stage after Busch, according to the video on Rumble, and distanced himself from her remarks. Hiatt said he didn't want to "get rid" of Richer, just replace him in office.

In his X post, Richer said Busch's remarks were not "healthy" or "responsible."

"We shouldn't want it as part of the Republican Party," Richer said.

Busch did not respond to a request for comment Monday evening, nor did Craig Berland, the chair of the Maricopa County Republican Committee executive board.

The Maricopa County Attorney's Office said no case related to Busch making threats against Richer had been submitted by law enforcement for review. "In general terms, we take all statements of threatening nature very seriously," a spokesperson said.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Arizona said they were aware of the video.

"We, along with our law enforcement partners, take election-related threats extremely seriously," said public affairs officer Zach Stoebe. "We have no further comment at this time."

Richer could not be reached Monday evening.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Arizona has repeatedly warned of threats against election workers. In March, U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino said Arizona was "in the crosshairs" of election threats.

Restaino said seven of the roughly 18 federal election-related threat cases nationwide involved the targeting of Arizona officials.

All of those cases involved people outside the state "threatening our fellow Arizonans," Restaino said at the time. The two most recent cases were brought against people in Alabama and California.

John Keller, with the U.S. Department of Justice's Public Integrity Section, said at the news conference that Arizona election officials had faced an "onslaught of hostility" for dutifully and reliably doing their jobs.

Reporter Richard Ruelas contributed to this article.

Have a news tip? Reach the reporter at [email protected] or 812-243-5582. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @JimmyJenkins.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona county Republican vice chair threatens Stephen Richer