City responds after Haitian group asks for charges against Trump, Vance over Springfield claims

SPRINGFIELD — The City of Springfield is responding after the leader of the Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) filed documents asking for criminal charges against former President Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance.

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As reported Tuesday on News Center 7 at 6:00, the leader of the HBA filed a bench memorandum and supporting affidavit in Clark County Municipal Court, asking local authorities to charge Trump and Vance in connection to the claims both men made about Springfield’s Haitian community.

In a statement released on Wednesday, a city spokesperson said the city “acknowledges the serious nature of these allegations,” before saying the city would not be commenting further on the ongoing legal matter to allow the “legal process to unfold without interference.”

“It is vital that discussions on sensitive issues, particularly those surrounding immigration, are grounded in facts rather than falsehoods. Springfield is committed to promoting constructive dialogue and addressing concerns with integrity and transparency,” the spokesperson said.

The city also said the safety and well-being of its residents, including the Haitian immigrant community, remains their top priority.

“We take any actions that disrupt public services or spread misinformation very seriously, and we will continue to uphold our commitment to maintaining public order,” the spokesperson said.

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The charges the group is seeking to file against Trump and Vance are disrupting public services, making false alarms, two counts of complicity, two counts of telecommunications harassment, and aggravated menacing, according to the memorandum.

Under an Ohio statute, private citizens are allowed to file “an affidavit charging the offense committed” and “require the reviewing court to either ‘forthwith’ issue arrest warrants or refer the matter to the prosecuting attorney for investigation.”

Subodh Chandra, HBA leader Guerline Jozef’s legal counsel, said the Haitian community has been “suffering in fear because of Trump and Vance’s relentless, irresponsible” false alarms, which also disrupted public services due to the dozens of bomb threats to schools, colleges, and city hall.

News Center 7 reached out to Trump and Vance’s teams on Tuesday and received the following statement from Steven Cheung, Communications Director of the Trump Campaign:

“President Trump is rightfully highlighting the failed immigration system that Kamala Harris has overseen, bringing thousands of illegal immigrants pouring into communities like Springfield and many others across the country. President Trump will secure our border and put an end to the chaos that illegal immigration brings to our communities.”

News Center 7 also asked Chandra what he hopes to accomplish with the new filing. He said accountability.

“My clients are interested in seeing accountability and the rule of law,” Chandra said. “No one should be able to wreak the kind of havoc that Donald Trump and J.D. Vance have by relentlessly lying about a vulnerable immigrant population falsely claiming that they’re stealing and eating people’s pets, falsely claiming that they’re illegal when they are here on a legal federal program. These are lies.”

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