Yahoo Finance Utah official tells lawmaker to ‘die and go to hell’ in expletive-filled email for disturbing his nap
Utah Assistant Attorney General Steven Wuthrich has apologised after sending a lawmaker an email that said they should “die and go to hell” after disturbing the official’s nap over the weekend.
Darin Mano, Salt Lake City’s first Asian American council member, was on the receiving end of the expletive-filled email.
It was sent after Mr Mano campaigned door-to-door on Saturday throughout Salt Lake City.
“I will do everything in my power to see you never get elected to any office higher than dog catcher,” Mr Wuthrich to the council member. “I hate you. I hate your family. I hate your solicitors. I hate your contributors. I hate your sponsors. Kindly die and go to hell motherf*****!!!!”
When speaking to NBC News, Mr Mano said he was “shocked” and “disturbed” to read the email after returning home on Saturday night from his door-to-door campaigning.
“It was an inappropriate response, particularly from a public official,” he said.
Mr Wuthrich has since issued an apology.
“Last Saturday I was awakened from a nap and reacted with undue anger based solely on the interruption to my tranquility,” Mr Wuthrich said in a statement. “Since then I have regretted the ferocity and language of that email. My words were uncivil and unprofessional.
“From me personally, I apologize to Salt Lake City Councilman Darin Mano and his family. I never wished harm to Mr Mano, his family or anyone associated with him. No parent, spouse or child should be subjected to such emotional outbursts. I am deeply sorry,” he added.
The council member then issued a statement in response to the apology.
The statement read: “I appreciate the apology from Mr Wurthrich, particularly the assurance that my family is safe. I will leave it up to Mr Wuthrich’s employer and the bar association to decide on any disciplinary actions. That is not my place. Each of us can and must improve ourselves with an eye toward kindness and equity in order to build a safe and inclusive community for all. I’m hopeful this has been a learning experience for us all that we need to slow down, think before we react, and treat each other with kindness and respect. I am still Mr Wuthrich’s representative and the invitation to hear his views about Salt Lake City and District 5 remains open.”
Although the council member has said he accepts Mr Wuthrich’s apology, he defended his reasoning for sharing the email to his followers on Facebook.
“As an Asian American and member of the LGBTQ+ community, I must stand up against hate speech and call it out when I see it,” Mr Mano wrote on Facebook when sharing the email.
The email mentioned Mr Mano’s family, which he saw as a personal attack.
On Saturday, Mr Mano travelled around his district to visit with registered voters and hand out fliers about his campaign, which showed a picture of the council member with his partner, Kevin Randall, and their children.
No one answered when Mr Mano knocked on Mr Wuthrich’s door, so the council member said he just moved on to the next house.
“The best possible outcome is for everyone who hears this story to just remember that we need to treat each other with kindness and respect — regardless of our identities,” Mr Mano said.
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