The following is from the office of Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).

Sen. Chuck Grassley, a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has raised concerns about the Justice Department’s delay in responding to threats against U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon. In a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe of the Southern District of Florida, Grassley questioned why it took four months for the DOJ to indict Eric James Rennert, who allegedly made violent threats against Judge Cannon.

The timeline noted in Grassley’s letter includes the following:

• May 25 and May 28, 2024: Rennert allegedly threatens to assault, injure, kidnap, and/or murder Judge Cannon and her family in an effort to interfere with her official duties and to retaliate for her performance of those duties.
• July 24, 2024: Rennert reportedly makes another threat to murder Judge Cannon.
• September 2024: The DOJ finally indicts Rennert for his threats against Judge Cannon.

Grassley expressed serious concerns about the delay.

“Without additional explanation, the delay raises concerns about the Justice Department’s efforts to protect federal judges from serious violent threats, particularly in light of reports finding that threats against federal judges driven by political violence have more than doubled since 2021. The Justice Department must provide the American public with the needed assurance that it will appropriately hold those accountable who threaten Judge Cannon and all other federal judges for carrying out their constitutional duties. These violent threats against federal judges are an attack on our democracy.”

Sen. Chuck Grassley  (R-Iowa)

Grassley’s letter also highlights previous concerns he raised in 2022, urging the DOJ to prioritize the protection of Supreme Court justices amid ongoing threats.

For more details, you can read the full letter here or below.

October 21, 2024

VIA ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION

The Honorable Merrick B. Garland
Attorney General
Department of Justice

The Honorable Christopher Wray
Director
Federal Bureau of Investigation

The Honorable Markenzy Lapointe
U.S. Attorney
Southern District of Florida

Dear Attorney General Garland, Director Wray, and U.S. Attorney Lapointe:

On September 25, 2024, Eric James Rennert was indicted for making violent threats to assault, kidnap, and murder U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who dismissed charges against former President Trump related to his handling of classified information. However, according to the indictment, Rennert began making threats against Judge Cannon and her family as early as May 25, 2024. I write to you for more information about why the Justice Department brought an indictment four months after the initial threat.

The indictment says on or about May 25 and May 28, 2024, Rennert communicated “a true threat to kidnap and injure” Judge Cannon and her family. The indictment says that Rennert also threatened to “assault, kidnap, and murder” Judge Cannon “with the intent to impede, intimidate, and interfere” with her “performance of official duties” and “with the intent to retaliate” against Judge Cannon for performing those duties. Further, the indictment says that on July 24, 2024, Rennert again threatened to murder Judge Cannon for all the same reasons. The Justice Department didn’t indict Rennert until September for these criminal threats, even though Judge Cannon has faced consistent violent threats for carrying out her constitutional duties. For example, on September 1, 2022, Tiffani Shea Gish threatened Judge Cannon, telling her she “was marked for assassination and would get a bullet in the head.” Gish eventually pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years in prison.

Why did it take the Justice Department four months to bring charges against Rennert, during which time former President Trump faced two assassination attempts? Moreover, one of those assassination attempts occurred in the Southern District of Florida, where Judge Cannon presides.

Without additional explanation, the delay raises concerns about the Justice Department’s efforts to protect federal judges from serious violent threats, particularly in light of reports finding that threats against federal judges driven by political violence have more than doubled since 2021. The Justice Department must provide the American public with the needed assurance that it will appropriately hold those accountable who threaten Judge Cannon and all other federal judges for carrying out their constitutional duties. These violent threats against federal judges are an attack on our democracy.

Accordingly, please explain in detail why the Justice Department did not bring an indictment against Rennert until September and after he made multiple threats against Judge Cannon.

Thank you for your prompt review and response. If you have any questions, please contact Brian Randolph and Silvia Symber on my Committee staff at (202) 224-0642.

Sincerely,
Charles E. Grassley
Ranking Member
Committee on the Budget