MI Man Sentenced To Probation After Threatening Elected Officials

LANSING, MI — A Clare County man will serve probation after being convicted of threatening two elected Michigan officials.

Livingston County District Court Judge Shauna Murphy sentenced 63-year-old Daniel Thompson Tuesday to two years probation with no early discharge, a suspended six-month sentence in the Livingston County Jail and nearly $2,000 in fines and costs.

“My office will not stand for threatening behavior directed at our public officials,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said. "I recognize Mr. Thompson's admission of guilt and appreciate my team’s work to ensure there’s accountability in this case. Public servants must be able to do their jobs free from intimidation and fear.”

Thompson was charged earlier this year with three counts of malicious use of a service provided by a telecommunications service provider after being accused of making threatening remarks in voicemails, emails and phone calls to the offices of U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow and U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin.

The attorney general's office in its formal complaint against Thompson said he left threatening messages for Stabenow on Jan. 5 from Livingston County and made vulgar and threatening remarks in a phone conversation with a member of Slotkin's office on Jan. 19 from Clare County.

A third charge submits that Thompson made another threatening call to Rep. Slotkin from Livingston County on April 30, 2020, documents show.

The voicemail message for Stabenow left by Thompson, who identified himself as a Republican, contained vulgar language and threatened violence meant to intimidate the public officials, Nessel's office said Tuesday. Thompson said he was angry about the results of the November election, that he joined a Michigan militia, and that there would be violence if the election results were not changed, according to the attorney general's office.

In an email to Stabenow's office, he reiterated the threatening remarks and used vulgar language, Nessel's office said.

Thompson also spoke with a staff member from Slotkin's office for more than an hour in which he claimed people will die and used violent references, while also noting events that took place at the Capitol building, according to the Michigan Attorney General's office.

Two of the charges were filed in Livingston County; a third was filed in Clare County. Thompson pleaded guilty to the two charges issued in Livingston County last month. In exchange for Thompson's plea, the single charge in Clare County will be dismissed.