Whitehouse Urges Acting AG Blanche to Scrutinize Increasingly Dangerous Threat Environment for Federal Judges

No evidence that DOJ under former AG Bondi investigated orchestration of threats or coordinated MAGA campaign to intimidate federal judges Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Courts Subcommittee, sent a letter this week requesting that Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche explain what steps the Department of Justice has taken to combat the coordinated campaign of threats against federal judges and their families. Under since-fired Attorney General Pam Bondi, the Department of Justice refused to answer whether it is investigating the people responsible for orchestrating or soliciting threats against federal judges and their families.  Failing to take seriously this request impairs the law enforcement and judicial protection function of the U.S. Marshals Service. “I have repeatedly asked DOJ officials, including Attorney General Bondi, to confirm they will look behind the utterer of a threat whenever there is evidence of orchestration, coordination, or conspiracy.  DOJ has repeatedly failed to answer ‘yes’ to that simple question,” wrote Whitehouse. Federal judges, Supreme Court justices, and their family members have faced a surge of relentless attacks, especially on social media, after those judges or justices ruled against the Trump administration.  A Supreme Court justice’s family member received bomb threats at her residence, federal judges’ children were threatened, and multiple federal judges have had ominous deliveries sent to their residences in an apparent warning that people know where they live. “For the past year, judges appointed by presidents of both parties have been subjected to a deluge of threats.  These threats have included threats of violence, swatting judges’ homes, and unsolicited pizza box deliveries in the name of one judge’s murdered son.  These campaigns follow a clear pattern.  First, a judge rules against this administration.  Second, allies of the administration like Laura Loomer or Elon Musk attack that judge on social media, sometimes posting information about the judge or the judge’s family.  These posts then provoke what I believe is a curated collection of online ‘flying monkeys’ – individuals who react to these signals about who to intimidate, harass, and threaten,” added Whitehouse. “The responsibility for investigating and prosecuting the people who orchestrate the threats against these judges lies with the U.S. Marshals Service, FBI, and Department of Justice.  It should be easy for officials at all three agencies to show to me that they are taking all reasonable steps to carry out the full scope of those investigations.  I am still waiting for an answer,” concluded the Senator. Acting Attorney General Blanche has previously called for “war” against “rogue” judges, claiming that the Trump administration is “fighting a judiciary” and “activist judges” who say no to the administration. Whitehouse raised the issue of orchestrated threats against judges with former Attorney General Bondi in an oversight hearing in October, where she promised to sit down with the Senator to discuss the matter.  Such a meeting never occurred, and Acting Attorney General Blanche has so far rebuffed the Senator’s briefing request.  Whitehouse first elevated this issue in an April 2025 letter signed by all Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats to the Marshals Service. Full text of the letter is below and a PDF is available here . April 13, 2026 The Honorable Todd Blanche Acting Attorney General of the United States U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W. Washington, D.C. 20530 Dear Acting Attorney General Blanche: As Acting Attorney General, you take over a Department of Justice responsible for protecting federal judges and their families in a dangerous and unprecedented threat environment.  The Department should do everything it can to fulfill that mission, but I have not received that assurance.  I hope that will improve under your leadership. For the past year, judges appointed by presidents of both parties have been subjected to a deluge of threats.  These threats have included threats of violence, swatting judges’ homes, and unsolicited pizza box deliveries in the name of one judge’s murdered son.  These campaigns follow a clear pattern.  First, a judge rules against this administration.  Second, allies of the administration like Laura Loomer or Elon Musk attack that judge on social media, sometimes posting information about the judge or the judge’s family.  These posts then provoke what I believe is a curated collection of online “flying monkeys”—individuals who react to these signals about who to intimidate, harass, and threaten. This pattern suggests these threats are not isolated incidents planned solely by the individuals who utter the threats.  The evidence instead points to coordination, that may constitute a criminal conspiracy or enterprise, to intimidate sitting federal judges from ruling against this administration.  I have repeatedly asked DOJ officials, including Attorney General Bondi, to confirm they will look behind the utterer of a threat whenever there is evidence of orchestration, coordination, or conspiracy.  DOJ has repeatedly failed to answer “yes” to that simple question. More specifically, over the past year, I have submitted the following questions to DOJ—all unanswered.  I began this inquiry last April via a letter to the Acting U.S. Marshals Service Director.  Over the next year, I reiterated my requests through live questioning and questions for the record to various DOJ officials during four separate Senate Judiciary Committee hearings, including an October 2025 oversight hearing with Attorney General Bondi — more than a dozen questions in all.  My staff did the same at a staff-level briefing with the U.S. Marshals Service last September.  Given the lack of response, I even submitted a Freedom of Information Act request in October, something to which members of Congress should not need to resort. Below are the specific questions I have asked in writing, either in letters or questions for the record.  I would appreciate a written response to these long-overdue questions at your earliest convenience. How has USMS responded to the threat environment with respect to federal judges? What steps has USMS taken to ensure the safety of judges’ family members as part of this threat environment? What is USMS’s current capacity to investigate threats against judges and their family members? What is USMS’s current capacity to analyze trends related to threats against judges and their family members, including the sources of those threat trends? Have any recent executive branch personnel or funding decisions affected USMS’s capacity to investigate or respond to threats against judges and their family members? Does USMS need any additional resources to investigate and respond to threats against judges and their family members? Has USMS, whether in conjunction with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices or otherwise, evaluated whether any threats against judges or their family members constitute potential obstruction under 18 U.S.C. § 1503 or any related federal statute?  What is the investigation protocol USMS follows for such threats? Has USMS, whether in conjunction with the FBI, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, or otherwise, taken any steps to investigate whether there is an ongoing or recent illegal conspiracy or enterprise to threaten or intimidate federal judges?  If yes, please specify. Has anyone at the White House or Department of Justice directed, suggested, or otherwise indicated to anyone at USMS that it should not pursue investigations into persons orchestrating threats against or directly threatening federal judges?  If so, please describe the communication in detail. Has anyone at USMS directed, suggested, or otherwise indicated to anyone within the Judicial Security Division that the Division should not pursue an investigation into any person orchestrating threats against or directly threatening federal judges?  If so, please describe the communication in detail. How many United States Marshals officials have been reassigned from the Judicial Security Division to assist with implementation of Executive Orders 14252, 14333, or 14339? If not formally reassigned, how many United States Marshals officials in the Judicial Security Division have been required or deployed to assist with matters related to implementation of Executive Orders 14252, 14333, or 14339? In October, Attorney General Bondi promised to schedule a briefing with U.S. Marshals Service Director Serralta and me to address my concerns.  As Acting Attorney General, please fulfill Attorney General Bondi’s promise and hold this briefing as soon as possible. The responsibility for investigating and prosecuting the people who orchestrate the threats against these judges lies with the U.S. Marshals Service, FBI, and Department of Justice.  It should be easy for officials at all three agencies to show to me that they are taking all reasonable steps to carry out the full scope of those investigations.  I am still waiting for an answer. I look forward to receiving answers to these questions and to a briefing with you and the U.S. Marshals Service on these matters. Sincerely, ###