- By Kelles Campaign
- News
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Sunday afternoon, a supporter of NYS Assembly candidate Anna Kelles received a disturbing anonymous email. Members of “8kun”, a website associated with white supremacy, Anti-Semitic, and Neo-Nazi groups, threatened to dox (maliciously publish private information) this supporter for having a lawn sign in support of Kelles unless they took it down. The email also included derogatory and slanderous statements about Kelles herself.
“When people see that you are fighting to expand the rights of all, it frightens those whose sense of power is derived by pushing others down,” said Kelles.
The email has been forwarded to the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Department, and the recipients of the email have filed a formal report of the incident.
This is the second incident reported about this hate group toward the Kelles campaign. A similar anonymous email was sent last week threatening to vandalize with Nazi symbols a banner displayed on the side of the Plumbers-Steamfitters Local 267 Assembly Hall on State St. in Ithaca. The incident also was reported to law enforcement, and the banner was moved to a higher location on the Route 13 side of the building.
Kelles is vying for the Democratic nomination for the seat being vacated by long-time Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton.
According to campaign manager Mo Brown, “Our grassroots campaign doubled the donations of the next closest campaign in terms of total dollars raised, but more importantly, the greatest number of individual people have contributed to support Anna.”
The threatening email went on to imply that Kelles is in the pocket of financial interests, despite the fact that the majority of her largest donations are from the labor unions who have endorsed her, including the Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 267 and the Tompkins-Cortland Building and Construction Trades Council.
Kelles said, “We will not be bullied or intimidated, and I’m grateful to my supporters for their courage and character. There is no place for hate here.”
The primary election will be held on June 23 with early voting beginning June 13. Absentee ballots and voting by mail are available now.
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