Climate of fear is driving local officials to quit – new study from California finds threats, abuse rampant

Rising threats against public officials is a national problem. Between 2013 and 2016, there were, on average, 38 federal charges involving threats to public officials per year, according to the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology and Education Center, a research center. That average sharply increased between 2017 and 2022, when an average of 62 federal charges were brought annually for threats to public officials.