JEFFERSON CITY — A Cole County elected official this week defended a comment he posted to Facebook that accused a Georgia state senator of treason, with a punishment of death, and claimed without evidence that she participated in an election-related “coup.â€
Cole County Assessor Christopher D. Estes replied to a post by Sen. Elena Parent, who has become a lightning rod for supporters of President Donald J. Trump who believe his unsupported claims of election fraud in states including Georgia.
“What you have done is to enable a coup. Illegally removing a legally elected President. Pretty sure that is called treason. Punishable by death. I pray to God that these treasonous individuals are uncovered and legally convicted in a court of law. If (President-elect Joe) Biden is successful, this will no longer be a government, Of the people, By the people, For the people. It will be the government of who can cheat best. I pray for the future of my children and grandchildren,†Estes wrote.
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The comment was among more than 3,500 in response to the by Parent.
An online Georgia news site, , based east of Atlanta in Decatur, provided a copy of the comment to the Post-Dispatch.
Estes, a Republican, did not return multiple messages this week seeking comment. His wife told the Post-Dispatch that he was home with a migraine.
An Estes relative gave a that said, “Just because I became an elected official does not negate my rights in the First Amendment. I believe it makes me more responsible to speak when it appears the law has been broken, and I would never call for violence or injury to anyone. I would call upon the legal justice system to do its duty to determine guilt or innocence.â€
Asked about Estes’ Facebook comment, Cole County Presiding Commissioner Sam Bushman responded, “I read it and I thought, ‘My God.’â€
“I didn’t realize Chris was as radical as that makes him sound,†he said.
“I’m a Republican. I was disappointed in the outcome, but to me the election is done,†he said.
Bushman said Estes is a former police officer who was appointed to the assessor position before winning subsequent elections.
He said a prior altercation with a neighbor also put Estes in the spotlight.
In June 2019, Estes was arrested and accused of punching a neighbor in the face during a dispute over property lines, .
He pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor, but the case has since disappeared from public records.
Parent, a Democrat, became the focus of anger from Trump supporters following a hearing last week when she refuted claims of election fraud in Georgia. The claims, being pushed by Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, the Trump campaign and right-wing websites, include a debunked conspiracy theory involving suitcases stuffed with ballots.
The election fraud claims have been dismissed by top Georgia Republican officials and courts in a number of states have rejected similar claims brought by attorneys for the Trump campaign.