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Thursday 18 augusT 2022
Trump supporters' threats to judge spur democracy concerns

By GARY FIELDS and NICH- sonal information impacts
OLAS RICCARDI everyone from nationally-
Associated Press known Supreme Court jus-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hun- tices to otherwise anony-
dreds of federal judges mous state judges.
face the same task every "This gets to the core issue
day: review an affida- of having equal access to
vit submitted by federal justice, a core foundation-
agents and approve re- al principle of our ability
quests for a search war- to function as a third and
rant. But for U.S. Magistrate independent branch of
Judge Bruce Reinhart, the government. It's really shak-
fallout from his decision to en to the core," Hall said.
approve a search warrant "Judges are just people at
has been far from routine. the end of the day. They
He has faced a storm of put on a robe, but they still
death threats since his sig- go home to their families."
nature earlier this month The most recent warn-
cleared the way for the ing sign came after last
FBI to search former Presi- week's search of Mar-A-
dent Donald Trump's Mar- Lago, Trump's Florida resort
a-Lago estate as part of and political and personal
a probe into whether he The FBI's unsealed search warrant for former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm headquarters. FBI agents
inappropriately removed Beach, Fla., is photographed Friday, Aug. 12, 2022. seized 11 sets of classified
sensitive materials from Associated Press information as part of an
the White House. Reinhart's investigation of three differ-
home address was posted A phone message left in Texas. "Now I think there provide 24-hour protection ent federal laws, including
on right-wing sites, along Reinhart's chambers was are a lot of people that to their families. one that governs gather-
with antisemitic slurs. The not immediately returned. don't think there's anything The increased targeting ing, transmitting or losing
South Florida synagogue He will preside over a hear- wrong with that." of judges comes as trust in defense information under
he attends canceled its Fri- ing Thursday on a request Lynn is one of many judicial public institutions plummets the Espionage Act, ac-
day night Shabbat services by media organizations, officials pushing Congress and partisan rhetoric esca- cording to court records.
in the wake of the uproar. including The Associated to approve the Daniel An- lates. It's part of a pattern Trump accused the gov-
Trump has done little to low- Press, seeking to unseal the derl bill, named for the that Steven Levitsky has ernment of abuse of power
er the temperature among underlying affidavit the Jus- 20-year-old son of District seen before. in targeting him, and his
his supporters, decrying the tice Department submitted Judge Esther Salas. "This is a classic precursor of supporters railed against
search as political persecu- when it asked for the Mar- He was killed in 2020 when a democratic breakdown," the search online, target-
tion and calling on Reinhart a-Lago search warrant. a gunman came to their said Levitsky, a Harvard po- ing the FBI and Department
to recuse himself in the case Asked to comment about New Jersey home. His fa- litical scientist and co-au- of Justice. An armed man
because he has previously measures it has taken to ther was wounded. The thor of How Democracies who posted threats against
made political donations protect Reinhart and his bill, which has the support Die. "To call this a warning the FBI on Trump's Truth So-
to Democrats. Reinhart has family the U.S. Marshals of groups ranging from the sign is an understatement." cial network was killed by
also, however, contributed Service said in a statement American Bar Association Trump's initial presidential authorities after trying to
to Republicans. "while we do not discuss our to the National Associa- campaign — during which storm the agency's Cincin-
The threats against Reinhart specific security measures, tion of Attorneys General, he personally condemned nati office.
are part of a broader at- we continuously review would keep more of judg- a judge who ruled against Still, Trump and his support-
tack on law enforcement, the measures in place and es' personal information pri- him in a lawsuit over his ers have waged rhetorical
particularly the FBI, by take appropriate steps to vate. now-defunct Trump Univer- war against the FBI for years
Trump and his allies in the provide protection as nec- In June, a retired Wiscon- sity — changed the ground since the investigation into
aftermath of the search. essary to ensure the integ- sin county circuit judge, rules governing threats and whether his initial cam-
But experts warn that the rity of the federal judicial John Roemer was killed in explosive rhetoric, said paign was aided by Russia
focus on a judge, coming process." his home in what authori- Matthew Weil, executive in 2016. The intense focus
amid an uptick in threats The vitriol directed at the ties said was a targeted director of the Democracy on an individual judge like
to the judiciary in general, magistrate, while striking, killing by a gunman, who Initiative at the Bipartisan Reinhart is relatively new.
is dangerous for the rule is becoming increasingly fatally wounded himself Policy Center in Washing- Gretchen Helmke, a politi-
of law in the U.S. and the common. In 2014, the U.S. as well. Later that month, ton, DC. cal scientist at the University
country's viability as a de- Marshals Service handled protesters converged on "There are threats every- of Rochester, said Trump's
mocracy. 768 incidents that it clas- the homes of conservative where now, it's become action mirrors what dema-
"Threats against judges ful- sified as "inappropriate U.S. Supreme Court jus- more normalized because gogues have done in other
filling their constitutional communications" aimed at tices after they overturned he changed what was al- countries where democra-
responsibilities strike at the judges and court employ- a 49-year-old ruling that lowed in public discourse," cy has collapsed. "A popu-
very core of our democ- ees. Last year, it reported women have a constitu- Weil said, who said both larly elected leader target-
racy," U.S. Second Circuit more than 4,500. tional right to obtain an the right and the left have ing a judiciary is often one
Judge Richard J. Sullivan, At one point "virtually ev- abortion. Police arrested turned to threatening the early indicator of demo-
chair of the Judicial Con- eryone recognized how a man with knives, zip ties judicial branch. cratic erosion," Helmke said
ference Committee on inappropriate it was to and a gun near the home Nathan Hall, a principal in an email.
Judicial Security, said in a threaten the life or secu- of Justice Brett Kavanaugh consultant with the Nation- Helmke cited Venezuela,
statement issued recently rity of a judge because and he said he planned to al Center for State Courts, Bolivia and Peru as places
in the aftermath of the of a disagreement with kill the conservative justice. noted that the combina- where an incoming admin-
search. "Judges should not the judge's decision," said Congress rapidly approved tion of lagging public trust, istration vowed to clean up
have to fear retaliation for Barbara Lynn, chief judge money to bolster security coupled with access to the judiciary, then stocked
doing their jobs." for the northern district of at the justices' homes and judges' addresses and per- it with its followers. q