Colorado Couple Guilty of Cross-Burning Threat Near Black Mayoral Campaign

A Colorado couple, Ashley Blackcloud and Derrick Bernard, were convicted of conveying false information about a threat after orchestrating a cross burning hoax near a Black mayoral candidate's campaign sign to generate voter sympathy during the 2023 Colorado Springs mayoral election. The pair, both members of minority communities, intended the act to aid Yemi Mobolade's campaign, who later became the city's first Black mayor. They emailed images and video of the burning cross and a defaced sign, which featured a racial slur, to local media outlets. Prosecutors argued that despite the political intent, the act constituted a criminal threat, as Mobolade and his family felt endangered, prompting them to take security measures. The defense claimed it was political theater aimed at highlighting ongoing racism, not an actual threat of violence. Sentencing for Bernard and Blackcloud is scheduled for September.