EXCLUSIVE: Utah signature gatherers attacked, harassed, threatened while trying to gain support for overturning redistricted map

The initiative to overturn Prop 4 has brought out some of the largest get out the vote voices in the Republican party, including Scott Pressler, who visited the state this past week.

https://twitter.com/ScottPresler/status/2016640484144447765?s=20

The Utah GOP, with the Utahns for Representative Government, brought in 1,000 volunteers and hired 200-250 signature gatherers through a contract with Patriot Grassroots to collect the signatures, but they have been facing the violence as they have gone out to collect the signatures.

Signature gatherer Kai Schwemmer, who also spoke at the Utah March for Life on Sunday, told The Post Millennial that when he was out door-knocking for the initiative in Springville, a man in his 30s came outside. After talking to him for a bit, Schwemmer said the man "suddenly became irate, began yelling" at him that he thought the initiative was "bullsh*t and you’re a piece of sh*t!"

https://twitter.com/KaiSchwemmer/status/2017460206628987317?s=20

Schwemmer recounted, "He tore the clipboard from my hands and threw it violently 20 feet to the right, I thanked him for his time and as I walked down his porch steps he followed behind me saying 'you need to get the f*ck out of here right now!'"

The signature gatherer recalled that the individual "came up right behind me and grabbed my lanyard from around my neck pulling it over my head and throwing it, screaming I should f*cking kill myself."

"He pushed me forward from behind and when I turned to grab the name badge which he’d thrown he rushed to beat me to it and tore it up," Schwemmer said. The individual then said to Schwemmer "You're one of those f*cking MAGA people aren’t you!" as well as “You’re a f*cking racist aren’t you!."

According to Brigham Tomco at the Deseret News, violence against signature gatherers has appeared to escalate as the Utah GOP is pushing to get enough signatures to put Prop 4 up for a ballot measure vote. 141,000 signatures are needed by February 15 in order to have the ballot measure considered.

Another signature gatherer was assaulted in American Fork, Utah when a suspect took the signature packet and tore it up. The suspect then got into a car with the signatures. The gatherer tried to get it back but was then struck in the head. The suspect was taken into custody and charged with assault.

The American Fork Police Department said they are getting "so many complaints" similar to what the one signature gatherer experienced. Packets have been stolen from the gatherers as well. Police filed reports in Centerville as well as Salt Lake City where suspects took the packets as well as sometimes ripped them up.

Signature gatherers were also assaulted in Salt Lake City, a Democrat stronghold, photo evidence reviewed by Deseret News found. Utah Republican Party Chair Rob Axson said of the attacks, "We are utilizing the same process to repeal Prop 4 as was used in 2018 to pass it. At that time, when more than 500,000 Utahns voted against Prop 4, no violence or aggression was ever reported."

Prop 4 in Utah requires that a commission separate from the legislature be designated as the body which recommends congressional districts. However, the law was used by 3rd District Judge Dianna Gibson to select a map that that was submitted by left-wing nonprofit groups, which created the all-but-certain Democrat seat in Utah.