No proof of ‘white supremacist’ threats in Georgia | Fact check

A Nov. 1 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) warns of a supposed threat against people in one of Georgia’s most populous counties.
“Hey ladies, I just received this from a friend who works in the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s office,” the post begins. “Be on alert. Last night, a deputy told a family that local White Supremacists/ KKK members originating out of Lexington, NC, are planning to attack from now until the Inauguration.”
It continues, “They are plotting against Blacks, especially black women because in their eyes, we are easy targets! Please be vigilant!”
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There’s no evidence of such a threat or such a warning from authorities. The Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office stated that it isn’t aware of any election-related threats toward any specific groups of people.
In a statement released Nov. 2 on its Facebook page, the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office said it wasn’t aware of any such threats. Gwinnett County is northeast of Atlanta.
“We have not received any information indicating threats to any group(s) on or after Election Day,” the statement says. “Hateful discourse such as this aims to instill fear in the community and disrupt us from exercising our constitutional rights.”
The sheriff’s office added that it would work with local, state and federal authorities to investigate any threats related to the election.
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Rockdale County Sheriff Eric Levett also debunked the claim, saying in a Nov. 3 statement that “we validated that this message is untrue through our sources such as FBI, (the Georgia Bureau of Investigation) and other criminal intelligence agencies.” The county is east of Atlanta.
Some experts worry about the potential for election-related violence, especially if the race is close when votes are still being counted in the days after Nov. 5, as USA TODAY previously reported.
USA TODAY reached out to the social media user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Check Your Fact, Politifact and Snopes also debunked the claim.
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