Phoenix man accused of sending email threat to Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates

PHOENIX — A Phoenix man has been charged with a misdemeanor for allegedly sending Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates an email threat in the days after last year’s election, authorities announced Tuesday.

In a June 1 filing, 44-year-old Ryan Stuart Hadland was charged with one count of using an electronic communication to terrify, intimidate, threaten or harass, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office said in a press release.

If found guilty of the class 1 misdemeanor, Hadland would face up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $2,500, according to the release.

Hadland allegedly sent Gates the threatening email on Nov. 12, 2022, four days after the general election.

The AG’s Office didn’t describe the contents of the email. However, it’s been well-documented that Gates and other election officials have been targeted for harassment in recent years.

At the advice of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, the District 3 Republican moved from his home to an undisclosed location because of safety concerns in the days around the Nov. 8 election.

Gates, who announced on June 1 he will not seek reelection next year, told The Washington Post last month he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after being subjected to harassment and threats over the county’s elections.

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors oversees voting in the state’s largest county, and Gates was the board’s chair during the 2022 elections.

Pima County Superior Court Judge Scott McDonald was assigned to handle Hadland’s case in Maricopa County.

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