Haitian group seeking charges against Trump, Vance in connection to Springfield claims

SPRINGFIELD — The leader of the group Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) has filed a bench memorandum and supporting affidavit asking local authorities to charge former President Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance in connection to claims they both made against Springfield’s Haitian community.

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News Center 7 is working to learn more about the filing and what could come next. We’ll have the latest on News Center 7 starting at 5:00 and 6:00.

In documents filed by Guerline Jozef, the national nonprofit’s co-founder and executive director, the group is asking the court to affirm that there is probable cause that the current presidential candidate and his running mate committed crimes and issue arrest warrants for both men.

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.”

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The charges come after Trump and Vance “repeatedly made wild accusations that have been repeatedly debunked by both city and state officials and many responsible news outlets,” according to the Chandra Law Firm, LLC, which is representing Jozef in this matter.

According to the memorandum filed in Clark County Municipal Court, Jozef is seeking the immediate arrest of Trump and Vance for:

• Disrupting public service “by causing widespread bomb and other threats that resulted in massive disruptions to the public services in Springfield, Ohio;”
• Making false alarms “by knowingly causing alarm in the Springfield community by continuing to repeat lies that state and local officials have said were false;”
• Committing telecommunications harassment “by spreading claims they know to be false during the presidential debate, campaign rallies, nationally televised interviews, and social media;”
• Committing aggravated menacing “by knowingly making intimidating statements with the intent to abuse, threaten, or harass the recipients, including Trump’s threat to deport immigrants who are here legally to Venezuela, a land they have never known;”
• Committing aggravated menacing “by knowingly causing others to falsely believe that members of Springfield’s Haitian community would cause serious physical harm to the person or property of others in Springfield;”
• Violating the prohibition against complicity “by conspiring with one another and spreading vicious lies that caused innocent parties to be parties to their various crimes.”

“Because the prosecuting attorney has not yet acted to protect the community and hold Trump and Vance accountable for what they have instigated, Ms. Jozef asks the court to find probable cause based on the facts presented and issue arrest warrants for both Trump and Vance,” according to the firm.” The prosecuting attorney then must make a public decision about whether that office stands for the rule of law—or whether it will further coddle Trump and Vance with complete inaction.”

Subodh Chandra, 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.

The memorandum stated both Trump and Vance continued to spread rumors of Haitian immigrants in Springfield eating residents’ pets, despite the rumors being debunked. The filing cited both social media posts and interviews made by both men, as well as comments Trump made during the presidential debate earlier this month.

Chandra said they both must be held accountable.

“There’s nothing special about Trump and Vance that entitles them to get away with what they’ve done and are doing,” Chandra stated. “They think they’re above the law. They’re not.”

News Center 7 reached out to Trump’s team 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 has also reached out to the City of Springfield and have not received a response at this time.

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