Trump and Vance face criminal charges over 'pet-eating' lies

24 September 2024

Republican presidential and vice-presidential nominees Donald Trump and JD Vance are facing criminal charges and an arrest request related to their weeks-long false claims that Haitian immigrants are stealing the pets of Springfield, Ohio residents and eating them.

The nonprofit Haitian Bridge Alliance is utilizing an Ohio state law that allows private individuals to file criminal charges, Cleveland ABC affiliate News5 reports. Through its attorney, the group is asking a judge to validate the charges and issue arrest warrants.

“The Haitian community is suffering in fear because of Trump and Vance’s relentless, irresponsible, false alarms, and public services have been disrupted,” according to The Chandra Law Firm‘s lead counsel Subodh Chandra, a former federal prosecutor. “Trump and Vance must be held accountable to the rule of law. Anyone else who wreaked havoc the way they did would have been arrested by now.”

“There’s nothing special about Trump and Vance that entitles them to get away with what they’ve done and are doing. They think they’re above the law. They’re not.”

“Their persistence and relentlessness, even in the face of the governor and the mayor saying this is false, that shows intent,” Chandra also said, The Associated Press reports. “It’s knowing, willful flouting of criminal law.”

“We want the judge to issue arrest warrants for Trump and Vance immediately, there is probable cause,” Chandra told FOX8.

Ohio Republican Governor Mike DeWine stated Springfield had received 33 bomb threats across 22 facilities in the days following Trump’s and Vance’s lies.

“The mayor tells us and the chief of police tells us there’s been no evidence at all of anyone eating a dog or any Haitians doing any of that. These Haitians that are there are legal, they work very, very hard,” the Governor also said.

Haitian families have kept children home from school and reports say many immigrants are “living in constant fear.”

As recently as Monday, the third week of his attacks, Trump was promoting his false claims about Springfield. He told supporters at a Pennsylvania rally that immigrants are inundating small towns and communities and have “destroyed” them.

“They will never be the same,” Trump lamented.

“The fact is, and I’ll say it now,” he declared angrily, “you have to get them the hell out.”

News5 reports the criminal charges include:

“Disrupting public service — by causing widespread bomb and other threats that resulted in massive disruptions to the public services in Springfield, Ohio.”

“Making false alarms — by knowingly causing alarm in the Springfield community by continuing to repeat lies that state and local officials have said were false.”

“Committing telecommunications harassment — by spreading claims they know to be false during the presidential debate, campaign rallies, nationally televised interviews, and social media.”

“Committing aggravated menacing in violation — by knowingly making intimidating statements with the intent to abuse, threaten, or harass the recipients, including Trump’s threat to deport immigrants who are here legally to Venezuela, a land they have never known.”

“Committing aggravated menacing — by knowingly causing others to falsely believe that members of Springfield’s Haitian community would cause serious physical harm to the person or property of others in Springfield.”

“Violating the prohibition against complicity — by conspiring with one another and spreading vicious lies that caused innocent parties to be parties to their various crimes.”

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