A Philly man who threatened to skin a GOP Erie County poll watcher alive was sentenced to prison
The case levied against John Courtney Pollard, 63, comes at a time when election offices across the country struggle with turnover amid an uptick of election denialism and threats from the public.
A Philadelphia resident, who threatened to kill and skin an Erie County Republican operative recruiting poll watchers two months before the 2024 election, has been sentenced to 10 months in prison and slapped with a $5,000 fine, federal prosecutors announced Tuesday.
John Courtney Pollard, 63, who described himself as a stage manager for theater productions in a since-removed LinkedIn profile, pleaded guilty in December to making interstate threats. State voting records have Pollard registered as a Democrat in Pennsylvania since at least 2022.
“This prosecution, and the Court’s sentence of incarceration in the Bureau of Prisons, sends a clear and unmistakable message that threats against election workers and other public servants will be met with swift, certain, and just punishment,” said Troy Rivetti, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
The incident began when Donna Reese, Erie County’s new regional election integrity director, a position within the Pennsylvania Republican Party, made a post on her Facebook seeking volunteers to help “observe at the polls on Election Day.”
Poll watchers are typically appointed by campaigns and other political organizations to report voter intimidation, interference, or other issues. They are separate from poll workers who are supposed to remain neutral as they facilitate voting and are not allowed to wear clothes supporting a candidate or party.
Still, Reese, 61, caused alarm when she ended her call out with “let’s help get Trump back where he belongs — The White House!!”
Someone screenshot her post and shared it on the Erie subreddit, calling Reese a “Trump wacko.” The two-year-old Reddit post, which remains online, garnered more than 200 comments and raised questions about whether Reese’s phrasing was inappropriate and opening the door for voter intimidation.
Reese, whose name and party were not made public by federal prosecutors, told The Inquirer she was only interested in ensuring fair elections. She said she was used to being criticized for her political views, but she didn’t expect what prosecutors said Pollard did.
Pollard sent a text that said he was interested in being a poll watcher. Within 10 minutes, prosecutors said, Pollard sent three more messages in the form of threats.
“I will KILL YOU IF YOU DON’T ANSWER ME!” read one message; the other two included profanities and told the worker their days were numbered.
The most serious message threatened to skin the worker alive and use the “skin for f — toilet paper.”
In a victim impact statement, Reese told the court how the “threatening texts began a yearlong ordeal filled with fear and constant vigilance.”
She told The Inquirer she was already on edge when President Donald Trump, then a candidate, was shot in Butler. Reese said she longed for a resolution when conservative activist Charlie Kirk was killed last fall.
Reese asked a strong message be sent to the country “that there is zero tolerance for making death threats against anyone, especially those serving in political or civic roles.”
‘Political violence is real’
In the 2024 election, multiple polling places and vote-counting centers across Pennsylvania received bomb threats. While the e-mailed threats did not seriously affect voting operations and were found to pose no credible threat, the incidents drew the attention of the FBI, which has taken these election threats seriously.
After Pollard’s sentencing, Richard Evanchec, the FBI Pittsburgh special agent in charge, said threatening workers tasked with upholding the election system had real consequences.
“Our country relies on free and fair elections, and the FBI and our partners will hold accountable anyone who thinks they can impact it,” he said.
Pollard faced a sentence of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both.
According to court filings, Pollard told the FBI he may have sent the messages under the influence of a sleep aid or alcohol, maintaining the texts were “bluff and bluster” from an overly political “keyboard warrior.”
Chief United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon noted Pollard’s lack of criminal history and how he accepted the seriousness of his actions. Still, she emphasized that “political violence is real,” adding that death threats like the ones Pollard made would not be tolerated.
Reese said the experience played a part in her decision to run for a seat in the Pennsylvania House with hopes to unseat the 3rd District’s Democratic incumbent.