Back in March Faisal Gill made news, becoming the first Muslim to lead a state political party.
In May the chair of the Vermont Democratic Party received three threatening emails within a one week period.
Now Vermont Public Radio reports hate crime charges have been filed against the man who allegedly sent those emails-Christopher Hayden, 48, of Burlington.
Gill said the emails became progressively worse. The first one told him he made the man sick and that he “wanted him out of my state.”
The second email “he was telling me to get out, go quietly, last chance,” said Gill.
Finally the third email the emailer wrote “Get out now. Last chance. Do it quietly. But get out of my Green Mountains.”
According to USA Today, the second and third emails also used racial and ethnic slurs.
Gill is from Pakistan.
“I do hope that he gets a sentence that makes him realize that he cannot do these kind of things any more,” Gill said.
The prosecutor says he believes the emails were motivated by Gill’s religion.
Any time that an individual is targeted and threatened based on their nationality, religion or ethnicity, I find it extremely concerning and a threat to the integrity of our entire country,” said Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George.
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