News Americas, New York, NY, September 24, 2024: In Ohio, private citizens have the legal ability to file criminal charges, and on Tuesday, the Haitian Bridge Alliance, a non-profit organization, exercised this right by filing charges against former President Donald Trump and Ohio Senator JD Vance. The two, currently running on the GOP ticket for president and vice president, face accusations stemming from unfounded claims they made about the immigrant population in Springfield, Ohio.

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Creations Market shop owner Philomene Philostin, a naturalized US citizen of Haitian origin, shelves merchandise in her store that caters mainly to Haitian residents in Springfield, Ohio, on September 13, 2024. Bomb threats are being called into schools and businesses are closing at sundown in Springfield, Ohio, after the small US town has become the center of racist conspiracy theories targeting its Haitian immigrant community — leaving some in fear for their lives. The mostly white city in the American Midwest has seen a boom in population in recent years, fueled mostly by Haitians attracted by its economic revival, and new businesses happy to attract laborers. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP) (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)

The charges, filed at the Clark County Municipal Court, include several serious allegations. The Chandra Law Firm, representing the Haitian Bridge Alliance, argues that there is probable cause to believe that both Trump and Vance committed crimes. The group seeks for a judge to affirm this by filing charges and issuing arrest warrants.

Among the charges are:

Disrupting public service: Violating Ohio law by causing widespread disruptions through bomb and other threats in Springfield, Ohio.
Making false alarms: Knowingly spreading false information that caused alarm within the Springfield community.
Telecommunications harassment: Sharing false claims during the presidential debate, campaign rallies, and through media platforms.
Aggravated menacing: Making intimidating statements, including threats to deport legal immigrants to Venezuela.
Complicity: Conspiring to spread false information, leading to crimes that impacted innocent parties.

Lead counsel for the Haitian Bridge Alliance, Subodh Chandra, emphasized that the Haitian community in Springfield has been living in fear due to the “relentless, irresponsible” statements made by Trump and Vance. Chandra urged the court to issue arrest warrants immediately, stressing that such actions would have led to swift arrests if committed by others.

Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign,told Fox News affiliate in Ohio that the former president is addressing a broken system and that the issues in Springfield are the result of failed policies under Vice President Kamala Harris.

At the time of the filing, officials at the Springfield Municipal Court had yet to respond regarding whether the charges would move forward or if a hearing would be held.

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