State prosecutor tells trailblazing politician to ‘kindly die and go to hell’ for disturbing his nap
Utah assistant attorney general Steven Wuthrich apologised after sending an expletive-laden email LGBT+ Salt Lake City council member Darin Mano. (LinkedIn/Steven Wuthrich/Facebook/@Darin4SLC)
Utah assistant attorney general Steven Wuthrich has apologised after telling a city council member to “kindly die and go to hell” in an expletive-laden email.
Darin Mano, Salt Lake City’s first Asian-American council member, said he received the “hateful” email from Wuthrich after a day of canvassing for his election campaign.
In the email, which Mano shared on Facebook, Wuthrich claimed he was taking a “lovely siesta” with his wife when “some motherf**king ignorant son-of-b***h rang” the doorbell and “put [his] piece [of] s**t unwanted solicitation on our door”.
It continued: “I will do everything in my power to see you never get elected to any office higher than dog catcher.”
The email ended with Wuthrich telling Mano to “kindly die and go to hell motherf**ker”.
Mano, who is also part of the LGBT+ community, wrote on Facebook that he was sharing the email because he “must stand up against hate speech and call it out when I see it”.
“As a city council member and a candidate running for election, it’s my duty to reach my constituents, listen to what is important to them and make informed decisions,” Mano said. “There’s no room for hate in our city.”
Wuthrich apologised in a statement Tuesday (15 June) to Fox 13, saying he regrets the “ferocity and language” of the email. He said: “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.”
According to NBC News, Mano was appointed in January 2020 to fill a vacancy left by now-Salt Lake City mayor Erin Mendenhall. This November is the first time he will be running on a ballot.
Mano told Fox 13 that he appreciated the apology from Wuthrich, especially the “assurance that my family is safe”. He added that he would “leave it up” to the state attorney general’s office and the bar association to decide on any disciplinary action.
But he said that he wanted this to serve as a reminder that each person “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,” Mano said.
The Associated Press reported that the Utah attorney general’s office said officials were taking the situation seriously and are currently determining the next steps.
