Last week the Department of Justice announced the arrest of an Alaska man for threatening to kill six Supreme Court Justices. He also threatened kidnapping and harm to their families. Oddly, the Justices were not named by Attorney General Merrick Garland.
"We allege that the defendant made repeated, heinous threats to murder and torture Supreme Court Justices and their families to retaliate against them for decisions he disagreed with," Attorney General Merrick Garland released in a statement Thursday. "Our justice system depends on the ability of judges to make their decisions based on the law, and not on fear. Our democracy depends on the ability of public officials to do their jobs without fearing for their lives or the safety of their families."
"The messages contained violent, racist, and homophobic rhetoric coupled with threats of assassination via torture, hanging, and firearms, and encouraged others to participate in the acts of violence," the indictment states. "Some of these threats were intended to intimidate Supreme Court Justices 1-6 and retaliate against them for official actions Supreme Court Justices 1-6 had taken in their official capacity as federal judges."
Man Arrested for Threatening to Assassinate Supreme Court Justices
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) September 19, 2024
https://t.co/uIsELK7BZo
So, who were the threats against? Given the suspect's donation history and the language in the indictment, it's likely they were targeted at members of the Court appointed by Republican presidents: Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Amy Coney Barrett, John Roberts, Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch.
Per FEC records, Panos Anastasiou, the Alaska man who threatened the six unidentified Supreme Court justices, made a number of small contributions via ActBlue to an assortment of Democratic candidates and committees.https://t.co/xYnWCPsvh7 https://t.co/wMzCHHpvIs pic.twitter.com/xpdmNk2D0d
— Rob Pyers (@rpyers) September 19, 2024
The messages Anastasiou sent to the Court, more than 400 of them, were indeed heinous. Former President Donald Trump [Former President 1] also appears to be mentioned and threatened.
Here's a sampling [warning, it's graphic]:
January 4, 2024: “I’d like to see [Former President 1 and Supreme Court Justice 1] hanging together from an Oak tree. I’d gladly provide the rope and pull the handle.”
May 10, 2024: “Subject: N***** [Supreme Court Justice 1]”, “I’d like to see you have a real lynching and I’ll donate the tree and pull the lever… you worthless piece of n***** s***.”1
May 16, 2024: “I would have had NO reservations about walking up to [Supreme Court Justice 2] and not asking him to take it down but to put a BULLET in this mother f****** head.”
June 18, 2024: “I don’t want to see these two corrupt mother f****** assassinated… I’d like to see them TORTURED worse than Kim Jung Un would torture his own family. You know, like putting electrodes up their ass and on their balls, needles under their finger nails, pulling their teeth with pliers, etc etc. Make these SCUMBAGS beg for their lives.”
July 1, 2024: “ASSASSINATING THESE C********** IS THE ONLY PANACEA… that includes the CONVICTED CRIMINAL, [Former President 1]. Again as an AMERICAN and to defend the constitution and democracy I want the assassinations by any ENTITY of the government or even a PATRIOTIC AMERICAN to commence. And PLEASE start with the assassination of the N***** and HERMAPHRODITE. As a Vietnam veteran and if I had the means and way I’d assassinate them myself. These f****** are NOT ABOVE THE LAW.”
July 3, 2024: “WE NEED MASS ASSASSINATIONS. If you’re corrupt you’re corrupt… don’t give us this official and unofficial bulls***. You mother f****** are UNELECTED and Americans have no trust in you. The internet is abuzz with Americans clamoring for your ASSASSINATIONS. We need to assassinate you f****** and put your heads on a pike and use them as soccer balls. I want to be the first to kick [Supreme Court Justice 6] head down Pennsylvania Ave. You don’t want to ask me what I’d like to do to the N***** and [Supreme Court Justice 2].”
July 5, 2024: “We should make [Supreme Court Justices 1-6] be AFRAID very AFRAID to leave their home and fear for their lives everyday.”
If convicted, Anastasiou faces up to 100 years in federal prison.