Cobb County election board meeting ends after someone yells 'heil Hitler'
COBB COUNTY, Ga. - The Cobb County Board of Elections abruptly ended its meeting on Monday after an unidentified individual shouted "heil Hitler" during the meeting.
"What he did is completely unacceptable, there's no place for that, it will not be tolerated," said Tori Silas, chair of the Cobb County Board of Elections and Voter Registration.
"Could this person be a closeted communist or Marxist?" said the resident, Hugh Norris.
Right after his comments, another man shouted a shocking antisemitic phrase.
The board was meeting to discuss a resolution urging the State Election Board to halt rule-making in the lead-up to the November presidential election.
Silas paused the meeting, requesting the person responsible for the outburst to leave.
"Antisemitic rhetoric is not acceptable. I won't continue to sit in my seat if that person is in the room," said Jennifer Mosbacher, vice chair of the Cobb County Board of Elections and Voter Registration.
The person who said it was asked to leave for disrupting the meeting.
"We would ask that whoever made the antisemitic, the Hitler comment, to remove yourself at this point," said Attorney Daniel White.
"If you're proud enough to say it, go ahead and walk out now. So, you're not going to hide behind the statement" Silas said to the three or four dozen people in the room.
Board members were stunned. However, no one claimed responsibility, and the meeting was subsequently adjourned with a 4-0 vote. Republican board member Debbie Fisher abstained from the vote.
"Any reasonable adult should be aware there are certain things you do not say in a public forum like that in the middle of a meeting where we are undertaking county business," said Silas.
The abrupt adjournment comes as election officials across Georgia are expressing concern about last-minute rules approved by the Republican-controlled State Election Board.
These new rules, which include an undefined "reasonable inquiry" and additional requirements before finalizing election results, could cause confusion among election officials and voters. Silas told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the board would reconvene later in the month to address the issue.
Cobb County police are trying to identify the person who yelled the phrase.
Vice Chair Jennifer Mosbacher, who is Jewish, would like to have a talk with him.
"I don't believe there's any room for hate speech. I really would like to ID the person and open a dialogue about tolerance, and I would really like to explain how hurtful those words are to a Jewish person," said Mosbacher.
Monday's meeting that ended so quickly will continue next Monday.