Navy Vet Faces PRISON Over MASK REFUSAL!

A Washington election observer and Navy veteran is facing felony jail time for refusing to wear a mask—a case igniting fury over political prosecutions and bureaucratic overreach.

At a Glance

• Tim Hazelo, a GOP election observer and Navy veteran, convicted of felony for refusing a mask in a 2024 Washington ballot room.
• Prosecutor Gregory Banks, known for anti-Trump rhetoric, escalated charges from misdemeanor to felony.
• Case ignites debate over election transparency, government mandates, and selective prosecution of conservatives.
• Observers face jail for rule violations as leftist officials blur the line between public health and partisan enforcement.

Convicted for Dissent: Mask Mandate Sparks Felony Prosecution

What began as a misdemeanor trespass charge in Island County, Washington, has exploded into a full-blown constitutional clash. In November 2024, Tim Hazelo—a decorated Navy veteran and Republican election observer—refused to wear a mask while inside a ballot counting facility. Though no written rule mandated masks for observers, County Auditor Sheilah Crider had imposed one following a COVID outbreak among staff. Hazelo questioned the legitimacy of the order and refused to comply.

Watch a report: GOP Election Observer Convicted for Mask Refusal.

He was removed by police and originally charged with a misdemeanor. But months later, Prosecutor Gregory Banks—whose social media is riddled with anti-Trump screeds—upped the stakes. Citing “unauthorized access,” Banks charged Hazelo with felony trespass and voting center interference. By July 2025, a jury convicted Hazelo. Now, he faces up to a year in prison—for declining to obey an unwritten mandate in a public election setting.

The Rule That Wasn’t—and the Politics That Were

The crux of Hazelo’s defense was simple: there was no written rule. Observer guidelines failed to mention masks. The mask mandate came later and wasn’t publicly codified. Yet prosecutors pushed forward, arguing that the county’s verbal directive carried the force of law. Critics say the felony escalation reeks of political retaliation.

Banks, the prosecutor, insisted the charges were about maintaining order. But the selective enforcement is hard to miss. Hazelo’s quiet refusal to mask wasn’t violent or disruptive—yet he’s now a convicted felon. Another GOP observer, Tracy Abuhl, is facing similar felony charges, sparking allegations that Island County is using criminal charges to chill conservative oversight of elections.

Legal Alarm Bells and the Erosion of Civil Liberties

Civil liberties advocates are raising red flags. Election observers are essential to transparency. Criminalizing unwritten administrative mandates—especially in the high-stakes environment of vote counting—could set a dangerous national precedent. Already, Republican volunteers in Washington are pulling back from monitoring roles for fear of prosecution.

The broader implications are chilling. What happens when any local bureaucrat can invent “health rules” mid-election and jail those who question them? Hazelo’s conviction doesn’t just punish one man—it sends a signal to every citizen who dares to scrutinize the machinery of democracy. The message is clear: comply or face consequences.

Hazelo’s legal team is planning an appeal, but the damage is done. An American veteran tried to fulfill his civic duty—and ended up with a felony record. The real threat here isn’t the flu. It’s a system that punishes political dissent, cloaked in the language of public health and “orderly elections.” When laws become tools of retribution, democracy is already under siege.