The family members of the federal attorneys prosecuting former President Donald Trump in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case are "at risk" due to death threats, former U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade warned on Saturday.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) charged Trump with 37 counts in the case last month, accusing him of illegally removing classified files, some of which related to national security, from the White House after leaving office in January 2021 and obstructing government efforts to retrieve those documents. Trump has maintained his innocence by pleading not guilty, accusing prosecutors of investigating him for political purposes, including weakening his standing as he again seeks the presidency in the 2024 election, and has taken to social media to attack prosecutors, including special counsel Jack Smith.
Prosecutors handling the case are now facing threats and harassment, according to a Washington Post report published on Thursday. The newspaper reported that some Trump supporters have posted the names and personal details of individual prosecutors online despite DOJ efforts to keep that information hidden.
McQuade told Newsweek in a statement on Saturday that threats to prosecutors risk "the lives of public servants" and send "a dangerous message about the rule of law."
Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith speaks during a press conference in Washington, D.C. on June 9. Family members of the prosecutors handling the Trump classified documents probe could be "at risk" amid threats against the DOJ, warned former U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
"We rely on prosecutors to enforce the laws that we have enacted through the democratic process. Efforts to intimidate prosecutors from doing their jobs could have a chilling effect and negative impact on public safety in the long term," McQuade wrote.
These threats targeting prosecutors could leave their family members vulnerable as well, McQuade also said during an appearance on MSNBC's The Katie Phang Show Saturday morning.
McQuade explained that prosecutors' names will ultimately be released to the public when they have to say their name on the record during court proceedings and sign pleadings. She said she believes it will be "impossible to remove their names from the public discourse."
She also suggested that the DOJ could provide marshal service to prosecutors, but raised concerns about whether they would be able to provide the same resources for family members.
"I think the bigger worry is that their names are out there. They will be doxed. Their family members will be at risk, and they simply don't have the resources to protect all of the family members of these people," McQuade said. "I think this is a very dangerous trend, and people who are targeting them are really creating a very dangerous time in this country."
"I think this is a very dangerous trend. People who are targeting [prosecutors] are creating a very dangerous time in this country." @BarbMcQuade on individual prosecutors in the Trump classified documents case facing serious threats online #KatiePhangShow pic.twitter.com/9nQ8ktJxX5 — The Katie Phang Show (@katiephangshow) July 8, 2023
The former U.S. attorney warned that threats against prosecutors, which occur from time-to-time by those who feel they have been "aggrieved" by law enforcement, pose a "serious problem." McQuade added that the Trump case is unique in that it is "more like crowdsourcing the threat."
"This is something we see in third-world countries—an effort to intimidate prosecutors to stand down from charges. The whole rule of law is at stake when prosecutors are intimidated in this way," she said.
Newsweek reached out to the DOJ via its press inquiries form for comment
Concerns about the possibility of political violence have loomed over Trump's various legal issues, particularly following the January 6, 2021, riot at the United States Capitol building, when a mob of Trump supporters violently protested his Electoral College defeat to Joe Biden. Meanwhile, law enforcement agencies prepared for potential violence and Trump has faced accusations of trying to incite violence ahead of his court appearances.
So far, however, protests have remained fairly peaceful.
forceblast on July 8th, 2023 at 16:47 UTC »
I just assume anyone who publicly speaks out against Trump, or goes against him in any way is going to get death threats. His followers are insane rage junkies with a victim complex and he’s egging them on multiple times per day.
What else would any rational person expect?
It’s the same reason I won’t put political signs on my lawn. These people are unhinged. Trump knows this and takes full advantage of it.
I hope Jack and his family are taking proper security precautions. Anyone who plans to speak out against Trump should have a security detail for them and their families.
Mirageswirl on July 8th, 2023 at 16:28 UTC »
Donald Trump is a stochastic terrorist. I would assume the DOJ expected this threat and planned accordingly.
BelleAriel on July 8th, 2023 at 16:02 UTC »
That is shameful.