The recent arrest of a Wisconsin judge for allegedly making an effort to stop ICE from making an arrest is a clear escalation in Trump’s war on the judiciary. That Trump has engaged in a long pattern of trying to intimidate both state and federal judges isn’t news. It’s been in the news of course but it’s not “news” in the sense of surprising people he and his minions would engage in publicly threatening judges. However something more disturbing has been going on behind the scenes. It’s a widespread and as far as I’m concerned coordinated effort to send judges hearing Trump related cases a “Nice home and family you’ve got. It would be a shame if something happened to you/them.”
Before you go saying I need a tinfoil hat I’d like to call your attention to a piece in the Washington Post that is (to me at least) alarming as hell. Senator Dick Durbin, ranking member of the Judiciary Committee has sent a letter to AG Pam Bondi. It calls on her and the DOJ to investigate a series of anonymous pizza deliveries. Before you dismiss this consider a few things. This isn’t a case of one or two incidents. It’s much more than that. These deliveries are going to judges (and Justices) homes. It’s also way more than a handful of incidents. That’s bad but it gets worse. Family members that don’t live with the judge have been getting these deliveries too! At THEIR homes. If that’s not a “We know where you (and your loved ones too!) live” message meant to intimidate I’d love to see someone convince me otherwise.
I suppose it took a while for judges and probably security details to start comparing notes and putting together the fact this isn’t just a “one or two of them” type of thing. But it IS clearly bigger than that which means someone or some group is behind it. That’s why Durbin has formally requested AG Bondi and FBI Director Patel to investigate and find out the full scope of this. When you consider some of the deliveries were made in the name of Daniel Anderi something serious is taking place.
If that name is unfamiliar, Anderi was the son of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas. He was shot and killed by an attorney posing as a delivery man. So I say hell yes a ‘we know who you are and where you live, and your family too’ message. Remember, many of these deliveries are to judges hearing Trump related cases and Durbin is right to 1) Push the DOJ to investigate if they haven’t been, and 2) Make public the fact he’s done so and what information he is seeking from Bondi and Patel:
Durbin asked Bondi and Patel to report back to him by May 20 on whether they had identified suspects, initiated prosecutions, or found evidence that the deliveries were coordinated. He also asked them to describe what steps their agencies have taken to protect judges and their families.
The deliveries began around late February, as government lawyers tried to fend off a growing list of legal challenges to President Donald Trump’s policies, and Trump and his allies lobbed near-daily attacks on judges whose rulings they disliked.
The WaPo says the U.S. Marshall’s Service (which is tasked, among other things with security of federal courthouses, judges and others) has been investigating the deliveries. However it’s ‘unclear’ whether DOJ or the FBI has been involved. When contacted they of course declined to comment. I get that they don’t want to say much. The fact is they shouldn’t. However a brief statement about being in contact with the Marshall’s Service on the matter and that additional information will be provided at the appropriate time if charges are to be brought IS a normal thing to do. So call me paranoid but the no comment thing makes me suspicious.
You want more? Last month the Marshall’s sent a letter to folks up in the SDNY asking for information about whether people up there were getting these deliveries. It mentioned the anonymous part specifically and that they seemed to be connected to high profile cases. According the the WaPo’s sources:
The senders have targeted judges at multiple levels, including Supreme Court justices, and the children of some judges, Durbin wrote in his letter, which cited several news reports on the matter.
“These deliveries are threats intended to show that those seeking to intimidate the targeted judge know the judge’s address or their family members’ addresses,” Durbin wrote.
Like everyone else Durbin took a shot at the administration’s slash and burn activities and he indicated this is NOT the time to go cutting, but rather maintaining and even increasing the size and resources of the Marshall’s Service:
“These deliveries are threats intended to show that those seeking to intimidate the targeted judge know the judge’s address or their family members’ addresses,” Durbin wrote.
Durbin’s letter also called for Bondi and Patel to commit to maintaining or increasing the number of employees with the Marshals amid pressure to downsize.
“It is inappropriate and unacceptable to reduce the size of the agency tasked with protecting the federal judiciary and the judicial process,” Durbin wrote.
Again, that there have been threats isn’t new. However it’s gone on long enough and become regular/widespread enough that judges and Justices starting with Chief Justice John Roberts have gone on the record. The linked article is worth your time because it lists some specific judges and threats.
The question is whether Bondi and/or Patel will actually DO anything. This whole thing gives of a Trumpian stench and is just the kind of thing Stephen Miller would be working with shady people and groups to carry out. But again I say there’s simple too much to just write it off. No, I maintain my belief this is an organized campaign orchestrated to one end – put judges in literal mortal fear for themselves and their families. Remember what I said about some of the deliveries being in the name of a murdered son of a federal judge?
Keep an eye on this. If Bondi and Patel blow off Durbin and don’t respond he might actually prove useful for a change and made a big stink about it. My bet is that they will ignore Durbin so come May 20 be on the lookout for what comes next.
***Zoomers, we are always in need of donations. It’s been an especially rough month and my own health has not been great these past few weeks, which just adds to the frustration. Anything you can spare will be immensely appreciated. And thank you to all who have donated generously already. Ursula***
This is absolutely horrifying and *should* be looked into. The question is whether Bondi and Patel will bother to do so. If not, we have a substantially bigger problem. I could theorize about that, but I don’t have enough information at this time to do so. No matter what, it’s a huge concern, and obviously, should not behappening!
Remember in the wake of SCOTUS’s outrageous decision to overturn Roe how regular people had the audacity to OPENLY AND PUBLICLY protest outside the Satanic Six’s dining places and even their homes (with the latter, it was usually near the residences–on the same block or just the general neighborhoods rather than right outside the actual houses), what did Roberts do? He demanded increased “protection and security” despite there being nothing more intimidating than yelling and shouting. And Pres Biden and Congress went along with it.
I doubt we’re going to see any similar demands until some right-wing nutjobs (like Cannon or that moron in Texas who was the right’s go-to “judge for sale”) getting similar “deliveries” before Roberts tells Drumpf that these kinds of actions are NOT REMOTELY covered under “immunity” if there’s even the slightest hint that there’s a White House connection.
I wonder if it’s proper for the Chief Justice to bring up a threat of impeachment and removal from office as a solution?
I don’t think it is proper for the Chief Justice to bring up a threat of impeachment and removal from office as a solution, because SCOTUS has nothing to do with the impeachment process. It is proper for Congress to do that, especially House members. Trump is certainly worthy of impeachment 60x over. But the likelihood of actually achieving that at the present time is approximately zero, so it’s probably not a good strategy. We need effective not symbolic strategies. I think what is really called for here is good police work, because there is surely a lot of evidence, especially electronic records.
May need states (blue ones that is) to assist judges…