A man who was charged with sending racist and threatening emails to Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee has struggled with mental health issues in the past, according to court records and his father.

David Brooks Pokorny was arrested Oct. 7 in Southern California on suspicion of sending numerous emails with “extremely racist tones and threats to kill multiple different government officials,” including the mayor, according to a statement of probable cause.

Pokorny, 45, pleaded not guilty Oct. 10 to one felony count of threatening public officials or judges with a hate crime enhancement. An Alameda County judge set Pokorny’s bail at $70,000. As of Thursday, he remained in custody at the Santa Rita Jail.

Reached by phone Wednesday, Pokorny’s father, Gary Pokorny, said his son hasn’t lived in the B

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