John Jefferson
Main: An aerial view of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla., on Aug. 31, 2022 (AP Photo/Steve Helber/File). Right inset: U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon (U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida).
On May 28, months before U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago classified documents prosecution, she handed Jack Smith a loss, denying the special counsel’s request for a gag order on the former president. That same day, an unsealed federal indictment reveals, an Illinois man with a history of violent offenses allegedly threatened to murder an unnamed federal judge in St. Lucie County, Florida, a county that contains the relatively “small” Fort Pierce courthouse where Cannon and a magistrate judge sit.
Bloomberg got the scoop on the case against Eric James Rennert on Friday and reported that the victim in the case could very well be Cannon, considering she is “the only district judge” in St. Lucie County.
According to the unsealed indictment, Rennert, a 65-year-old from Champaign, Ill., with convictions for theft, domestic battery, and domestic violence over a time period spanning from 1986 to 2011, the first alleged crime was committed on May 25 and it involved a “true threat” to “assault, kidnap, and murder” a federal judge and to “kidnap and injure” that judge’s family with the “intent to retaliate against FEDERAL JUDGE 1 on account of the performance of official duties[.]”
Then, three days later, Rennert allegedly made another threat to kidnap the judge and the judge’s family.
The indictment did not specify what exactly was said, but it did say that the threats resumed again on July 24. Notably, that was nine days after Cannon found Jack Smith was unlawfully appointed as special counsel and ordered the Trump case dismissed.
Bloomberg reported that neither the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida nor the U.S. Attorney’s Office would comment on the case. If it is true that Cannon was the judge targeted, it would not be the first time she has faced threats and someone ended up prosecuted for it.
Tiffani Gish, a 50-year-old woman from Texas, was charged in September 2022 for leaving voicemails in Cannon’s chambers claiming to be “in charge of nuclear for the United States Government” and going by the name Evelyn Salt, the name of a character from the 2010 Angelina Jolie movie “Salt,” in which the actress plays a mysterious CIA agent.
“My authority exceeds the POTUS, and what you’re trying to pull is obstruction of justice, as this motherf—er is responsible for 9/11,” one deranged message said. “I’m going to f—ing have you shot myself. I’ve already ordered snipers and a bomb to your f—ing house.”
In another voicemail, Gish vowed to “personally throw a bullet” into the judge’s head in front of her family.
Gish went on to plead guilty in November 2023 and was sentenced in February to serve just over three years in federal prison.
In recent months and years, there has been no shortage of threat cases like these, targeting high-profile Democrats, Republicans, judges, and Supreme Court justices. A sampling:
Jan. 6 rioter back in custody after threatening Justice Amy Coney Barrett, Trump RICO judge, feds say
Man who threatened to light Kamala Harris on fire is baffled feds were at his door ‘over a comment,’ complaint alleges
Shocking new details of Florida man’s alleged threats to kill Trump and his running mate
Man allegedly threatens to ‘slit joe biden’s throat,’ kill federal agents
Trump supporter admits to leaving threatening voicemails for Fani Willis and Fulton County sheriff over 45th president’s mug shot
Man who vowed to ‘put a cap’ in and ‘stomp’ Maxine Waters sentenced
Bomb threat made to home of judge in Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial on morning of closing arguments
After Hunter Biden conviction, man threatens to ‘slaughter’ FBI special agent linked to laptop probe: Feds
Man who threatened to kill the Bidens, Obama, Hillary Clinton is sentenced to federal prison
Former Google programmer gets prison for leaving voicemail threatening to kill Chief Justice John Roberts
Self proclaimed ‘sniper’ charged with threatening to kill Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene
Secret Service notified after man arrested in alleged chair-throwing fit says ‘Trump needs to die because he was a liar’
Judge Cannon is now presiding over the case of Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspect accused of attempting to assassinate Trump as he golfed in September, two months after the former president survived an attempt on his life in Pennsylvania.
Colin Kalmbacher contributed to this report.
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