As the legal battle against former President Trump over the classified documents case continues, prosecutors have reportedly been subjected to threats and harassment.
According to a Thursday (July 6) report by The Washington Post, prosecutors in the case have been subjected to online and offline harassment and threats, as per a government official and extremism experts.
Experts highlighted that Trump’s supporters had posted prosecutors’ and government workers’ names online and shouted those names during protests.
Despite Trump’s indictment over possessing classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida, federal agencies have not observed a significant rise in threats to law enforcement, according to two officials who spoke to The Post.
However, the Department of Justice had attempted to keep the identities of those involved in Trump-related cases confidential, while the names of prosecutors are listed in public court filings.
President Trump has continuously voiced his disapproval of the ongoing investigation and has publicly criticized those involved, explicitly targeting special counsel Jack Smith who is supervising the probe.
Last year, there were several reports of a rise in threats against law enforcement officials after the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago. In response, the agency stated that they were actively evaluating and addressing these threats, which they described as “reprehensible and dangerous.”
According to insiders, high-ranking officials in the Department of Justice, including Attorney General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and Smith, have had security teams for a significant period of time. Additionally, security is being provided to other individuals as needed.
According to sources, threats against law enforcement have decreased since the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, which they attribute to people being more aware of the legal repercussions.
However, there had still been an increase in violent language aimed at individuals perceived to be targeting Trump.
Experts who have been watching online messaging boards and were interviewed by The Post have reported that overall threats have decreased since the Mar-a-Lago raid in August 2022. However, they have also warned about the possibility of violence as the case progresses.
Security measures were increased at Trump’s indictments in the hush-money case with adult film star Stormy Daniels in Manhattan and the document’s case in Miami to prevent potential threats.
Despite concerns over potential threats, there weren’t any violent protests that occurred.
