A man has been charged with a misdemeanor after he was accused of following a Utah Senate candidate after a campaign event.
Senate candidate Evan McMullin filed court documents in Utah alleging he and his wife were followed from an April 10 campaign event by a man who “chased and threatened them at gunpoint” in a “large pickup truck.”
In a victim impact statement, 46-year-old McMullin claims that the man aggressively followed him and his wife on their drive home, at one point forcing their car into oncoming traffic before pulling alongside them and pointing a firearm toward them in a threatening way.
The suspect, 44-year-old Jack Aaron Whelchel, has been charged with a misdemeanor count of threatening with a dangerous weapon and an infraction of disorderly conduct. He has pleaded not guilty.
Also in McMullin’s statement, the candidate noted that Whelchel’s social media pages, discuss guns being the tools with which to carry on this war against those he opposes politically. Whelchel also has several far-right memes posted on his page.
Whelchel’s attorney, Brixton Hakes, disputed McMullin’s description of the event. “My client never brandished a firearm. However, he did place a firearm in the center console of his truck.”
“It was Whelchel who believed he was being followed by McMullin,” his attorney said.
A hearing is scheduled for next month.
McMullin is a former undercover CIA officer who later worked as chief policy director for the House Republican Conference on Capitol Hill. He left the Republican Party in 2016, after Donald Trump won the Republican nomination for president, and launched a last-minute presidential bid as an independent that same year.
He is currently running to unseat Republican Mike Lee in the Senate, and has been endorsed by the Utah Democratic Party, which decided not to nominate their own candidate this year and instead rally against Sen. Lee.
Earlier this year. McMullin stated, “People are sick of the divisiveness. We’ve got mounting challenges in Utah, inflation is worse here than almost anywhere else, air quality is a real challenge especially during the summer, we’re running out of water in an historic drought, we’ve got high cost of health care and on and on. Politics of division and extremism just don’t solve them, and people are tired of it.”
I am registered and vote mostly Republican. I do NOT condone ANY violence from either side! This is getting ridiculous. These extremists come out of the woodwork and have no real affiliation with anyone or anything. Threatening, injuring or killing ANYONE does no good for ANYONE! I support 2A. I own a few firearms. I like to shoot. I am Licensed To Carry. I do not carry open, as I don’t want any trouble. I don’t brag on what I have. I am capable of handling most things in life without using a firearm, but I have them for those “just in case” situations.
Following Mr. McMullin and his wife was one thing. Forcing them into oncoming traffic is a serious threat of injury for them and others. Then, brandishing a firearm, should’ve been a FELONY charge rather than a misdemeanor. What if Mr. McMullin had been armed, considered the threat, and fired on the guy. They guy would’ve been injured or dead, then Mr. McMullin would be the one going through the judicial system, but I would not fault him for trying to protect himself and his wife.
The fact that Mr. McMullin is a former CIA agent, shows, that you never know who you are challenging!! It’s best to do your fighting with your votes! But one thing for sure, this craziness of stabbing or trying to shoot someone just because you disagree with their politics is pathetic! This talk of a Revolution or Civil War is crazy. I will not be a part of any of it, unless it is brought to my doorstep. Others should feel the same. If you HATE the left, vote against them. If they win, watch them fall. It happens. My 71 years has experienced it, without violence!
YMMV
I agree with you 💯 percent “sir” I’m a republican and I do not agree with violence from either side of the isiel. This violence is very ridiculous. I have talked to people that don’t like president Trump, that’s there opinion and I respect that. I on the other hand love president Donald Trump. But I’m not going to go out and do acts of violence on another American. I don’t agree with what the Democrat’s stand for free every thing illegal immigrants sure I understand why they want to be in America but they need to go through the legal process just like the ones who have been waiting for year’s to be American citizen’s. But the violence is always coming from the left, and the right to. What they did are doing to president Trump is unconditional. We need him back to return America back to Americans. But like I said I’m not going to get violent to get him back in office. But we don’t need to be cheated out of the real president of the United States, and that is Donald J Trump. “Trump 2024. God bless you “sir.”
Please tell me where the free stuff is that being given away
When have America not belong to Americans? And I would go farther and say make America for all Americans!!!!
It’s a shame that this Senator got away.Too bad, I’m for the gunman.