As chair of the Henderson County Democratic Party, Leslie Carey has spent years helping to build the county’s progressive infrastructure and lead one of the most successful local party operations in the state. After her family received death threats, she says she can no longer continue in the role.
The threats came after her husband, disabled Army veteran and activist Jay Carey, drew national attention for his veterans advocacy and political protests, including confronting Rep. Chuck Edwards during a town hall earlier this year and burning an American flag in Lafayette Park near the White House. Both incidents, Jay says, were acts of conscience, but to some, they were seen as provocation — and they led to a wave of hostility that would upend the family’s life.
Jay said he began receiving threatening text messages, voicemails and social media posts after the Washington, D.C. protest. Some of the messages went further, warning that the sender knew where his family lived. He didn’t report the threats to police because he didn’t think it would help…