US EditionFormer Island County GOP Chair Tim Hazelo Found Guilty of Felony Unlawful Entry After Mask-Related Incident
ISLAND COUNTY, WASHINGTON, JUL 13 – Tim Hazelo was convicted of felony unlawful entry and criminal trespass for refusing to wear a mask during ballot counting amid a mask mandate following a COVID-19 outbreak, facing up to one year in jail.
- Timothy Hazelo, who previously led the Island County Republican Party, was found guilty on November 9, 2023, of felony unlawful entry and criminal trespass in Island County, Washington, after declining to wear a mask while observing ballot counting during the 2024 general election.
- The conviction followed a mask mandate imposed last year by County Auditor Sheilah Crider due to a COVID-19 outbreak that sickened about half her staff during a prior election cycle.
- Hazelo and fellow observer Tracy Abuhl were offered masks upon entering the election facility on November 4, 2024, but refused and were told they could not observe ballot processing without masks, resulting in their removal and citations.
- The jury returned a guilty verdict after about 2.5 hours, and Hazelo described his actions as "civil disobedience," facing up to one year in jail for the felony and 364 days for the misdemeanor.
- Sentencing has not been scheduled, a related civil case challenging the mask mandate is pending, and rival claims of political motives surround the case as prosecutor Greg Banks denies such allegations.
24 Articles
24 Articles
Colorado Springs Gazette
Republican convicted over Election Day refusal to wear a mask
(The Center Square) – An Island County, Wash., election observer has been convicted of a felony over his refusal to wear a mask last year when policy was established by
Republican convicted over Election Day refusal to wear a mask - Washington Examiner
(The Center Square) – An Island County, Wash., election observer has been convicted of a felony over his refusal to wear a mask last year when policy was established by the county auditor due to a high rate of COVID-19 among staff. Timothy Hazelo, former chair of the Island County Republican Party, and fellow election observer Tracy Abuhl, chose not to wear masks at a voting center in Island County during the general election on Nov. 4, 2024. …
Hazelo guilty of felony unlawful entry after refusing to wear a mask
Tim Hazelo, the former Island County Republican Party Chair, was convicted of felony unlawful entry after he refused to wear a mask while he operated as an official election observer during the November 2024 general election. “I’m beside myself,” Brandi Kruse, host of the podcast “unDivided with Brandi Kruse,” said on “The John Curley Show.” I mean, to me, this is political prosecution, and it’s just unreal. I never thought he’d be convicted of …
The Center Square
Island County Republican convicted over Election Day refusal to wear a mask
(The Center Square) – An Island County, Wash., election observer has been convicted of a felony over his refusal to wear a mask last year when policy was established by
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