State Dems says GOP attack ad has led to death threat against Leyton

Democratic nominee for Michigan Attorney General David Leyton says his office received a death threat targeting him over the weekend.

MIRS, a subscription only newsletter covering politics and the Capitol, reports on the content of the threat:

“Hey, David Leyton, I’m a Michigan resident. I think you’re a piece of (expletive) dirt. I hope you get murdered in a spectacularly horrible way that (expletive) makes your family (expletive) wish people didn’t exist. People like you. Because you’re a piece of (expletive) dirt. And If I ever (expletive) see you driving or walking, maybe I’ll (expletive) swerve your way and maybe I’ll (expletive) run you over. Because you’re a piece of (expletive) dirt. (Expletive).”

The threat, Michigan Democrats say came from an Oakland county man. Democrats say the threat is tied to a controversial advertisement being run by the Michigan Republican party. In that advertisement, Debbie McIntosh claims Leyton set up a plea deal with Horatio Brown which allowed him to plea to a manslaughter charge and serve up to 22 years in prison for the murder of her son in 2006. McIntosh alleges that she signed onto the deal because Leyton — who is the prosecutor in Genesee County — told her it would allow him to convict two others allegedly involved in the shooting.

However, investigations by both the Flint Police Department and the Michigan State Police have determined there is not probable cause to seek arrest warrants for the other two suspects.

Leyton is facing Republican Bill Schuette in the November election.

When coverage of the commercial began pointing out the police agencies’ perspective, McIntosh began posting anti-semitic rants on both the Flint Journal’s Mlive.com site, as well as on the newspaper’s Facebook page. Michigan Messenger discovered that McIntosh also posted an anti-gay comment on a YouTube.

Democrats have called on the Republican party to withdraw the ads, but the GOP has dug its heels in and defended the ad and say it will stay on the air.

But both candidates for governor, Democrat Virg Bernero and Republican Rick Snyder, have condemned the antisemitic and anti-gay posts from McIntosh.

“The death threat against David Leyton is the result of the hate-filled campaign that Bill Schuette and the Republicans are running,” Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer said. “Bill Schuette is running a false attack ad against David Leyton, which he knows to be untrue. It’s outrageous that Bill Schuette and the Republicans would continue running this dangerous ad, considering the woman in the ad, Deb McIntosh, is being motivated by her dislike of the Jewish people, gays and lesbians. Anti-Semitism and homophobia are bad enough — now there are people out there threatening to kill David Leyton, all thanks to Bill Schuette and the Michigan Republican Party.”

“There is no place for threats,” said Schuette spokesman Rusy Hills. “We absolutely condemn that. We hope that whoever the perpetrator is is apprehended and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.