‘Threatening’ phone calls, emails overwhelm Butler agencies
With the public eye fixed on Butler County, some officials have reported an influx of phone calls and emails from people angry at the city — and neighboring law enforcement agencies — for their role in providing security to the rally for former President Donald Trump on Saturday, July 13.
To Butler Mayor Bob Dandoy, the ultimate irony is the rally didn’t even take place within city limits, but in Connoquenessing Township, where city police are not active. The municipality is covered by state police coverage.
That hasn’t stopped people from bombarding the city with emails, crashing the city website, and overwhelming its office staff with ‘threatening’ phone calls, Dandoy said.
“We've had numerous threats, threatening, nasty emails, angry emails to the city, and it's most unsettling and disturbing,” Dandoy said. “Phone calls also — they are threatening — I have had a couple on my voicemail coming from all different angles.”
City clerk, Mindy Gall said she has begun to file threatening emails into a folder that will be shared with law enforcement, namely, the FBI.
“This didn't even happen in the city; we didn't have anything to do with the planning,” Dandoy said.
Sheriff Mike Slupe said he continues to receive harassing emails and phone calls, mostly from out of state. Some challenge his job. Others name-call officers.
The messages falsely assume the responsibilities of different law enforcement agencies present at the rally.
“They don’t understand the role of the sheriff,” Slupe said. “In this case, I was not in charge of anybody but my deputies.”
In a statement to Facebook later Tuesday, Slupe explained that his deputies “performed their duties at their assigned areas and went above and beyond after the shooting started and ended by assisting by safely moving people away and assisting police in clearing the nearby buildings.”
He said his office is not in charge of other law enforcement entities, their staff, or their assignments.
Lt. Matthew Pearson, of the Butler Township Police Department, said the department has received a high number of threats since the shooting, which he described as “hate mail.”
Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger said his office has not begun an investigation into any messages local individuals have received. He said he has not heard of any messages that could be deemed legitimate threats.
“I've talked to a couple of the county officials, but they have not received any specific threats to them,” Goldinger said. “I can't say that I am aware of anyone being threatened locally. Nothing I would consider a threat.”
County Commissioner Leslie Osche said she has no knowledge of threats directed to the county following the shooting, but expressed that it’s unfortunate city officials have received harassing messages.
As the county remains under national and international scrutiny following Saturday’s shooting at the Butler Farm Show, Osche said discussions around cybersecurity have not changed and are ongoing, and she is confident in the measures taken to upgrade computer security in recent months.
Osche declined to comment about specific precautions taken due to security.
Any additional action taken by the county to address potential security concerns would follow the lead of the FBI and state police, she said.
“Right now, we are monitoring the investigation,” Osche said. “If and when there is some conclusion or some detail, we will take what action is necessary. We have to wait for the investigation by the authorized agencies to play out.”
“Right now, Commissioner (Kim) Geyer and I are focused on helping the families affected heal, being as supportive as we can, particularly on the mental health side,” Osche said. “We are a community focused on recovery ... from any traumatic event that can occur.”
Goldinger said people who receive messages that make them feel endangered should report them to police.
“If anyone does get a threat, notify the police,” Goldinger said. “The emails and phone calls have been more of finger-pointing and, ‘Be ashamed,’ and that kind of stuff.”
