Haitian Nonprofit Files Charges Against Trump and Vance Over False Claims in Springfield September 24, 2024 - A prominent Haitian nonprofit organization has taken legal action against Ohio Senator JD Vance and former President Donald Trump, accusing them of inciting harm with unfounded claims about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio. The Haitian Bridges Alliance, a …
Haitian Nonprofit Files Charges Against Trump and Vance Over False Claims in Springfield
The Midtown Times
Haitian Nonprofit Files Charges Against Trump and Vance Over False Claims in Springfield
September 24, 2024 – A prominent Haitian nonprofit organization has taken legal action against Ohio Senator JD Vance and former President Donald Trump, accusing them of inciting harm with unfounded claims about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio.
The Haitian Bridges Alliance, a San Diego-based nonprofit dedicated to advocating for migrants, particularly in Black and Haitian communities, has filed criminal charges against Vance and Trump in Clark County Municipal Court. The charges stem from repeated, baseless claims that Haitian immigrants in Springfield were abducting and consuming pets—allegations that both local and state officials have publicly refuted.
Vance initially shared these accusations on social media, sparking widespread fear and confusion. Trump echoed the claims during a nationally televised presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris. While there is no evidence to support the assertions, the central Ohio city of 60,000 has seen a spike in bomb threats and a significant decline in school attendance as the controversy drew national attention.
Guerline Jozef, executive director of the Haitian Bridges Alliance, outlined in court filings the damage caused by the false narratives. “Trump and Vance have falsely labeled the Haitian community in Springfield as a threat, leading to actual harm through threats that have caused government buildings, schools, and hospitals to close,” Jozef said. “They have disrupted a city that deserves better.”
The charges filed against Trump and Vance include
The charges filed against Trump and Vance include:
– Disrupting public service – by inciting bomb threats and widespread panic.
– Making false alarms – by knowingly causing public fear with baseless claims.
– Telecommunications harassment – through the dissemination of false information.
– Aggravated menacing by spreading intimidating statements that falsely implicate the Haitian community as dangerous.
– Violating Ohio’s complicity statute by conspiring to spread harmful lies that endangered innocent parties.
The Haitian Bridges Alliance has asked the court to issue Vance and Trump arrest warrants or refer the case to the prosecutor’s office for further action. Their legal counsel, Subodh Chandra, a former federal prosecutor, argued that law enforcement would have taken immediate action if other individuals spread such dangerous misinformation.
However, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost doubted the charges’ success. In a statement on social media, Yost said, “This will not withstand a basic probable cause analysis nor First Amendment scrutiny.”
This legal move highlights the growing tension between political rhetoric and community safety, as false claims continue to have real consequences in Springfield, leading to lockdowns and fear in the affected community.
The case now awaits further review by the court.
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