On Thursday, the Dept. of Justice announced the arrest and indictment of a 76-year-old Alaska man who they say allegedly sent threats over a timeframe of 16 months to torture and murder six Supreme Court Justices and their families.
From the press release:
An Alaska man was arrested yesterday in Anchorage for allegedly threatening to injure and kill six U.S. Supreme Court Justices and some of their family members.
According to court documents, between March 10, 2023, and July 16, Panos Anastasiou, 76, sent over 465 messages to the Supreme Court through a public website the court maintained.
“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,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “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.”
Beginning on Jan. 4, Anastasiou’s messages allegedly escalated to messages intending to threaten harm toward the victims. The messages contained violent, racist, and homophobic rhetoric coupled with threats of assassination by torture, hanging, and firearms.
Anastasiou is charged by indictment with nine counts of making threats against a federal judge and 13 counts of making threats in interstate commerce. The defendant made his initial court appearance yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kyle F. Reardon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska.
While the Justices who were threatened weren’t named, I think it’s safe to guess that it was the conservative ones, especially after reading this:
In one of the messages, sent Jan. 4, Anastasiou allegedly threatened to murder one justice by saying he’d like to see the justice and an unidentified former president “hanging together from an Oak tree,” and said he would “gladly provide the rope and pull the handle.” The unnamed former president is likely former President Donald Trump, as a subsequent message included in court filings references him as a “convicted criminal.” Trump became the first former president to be found guilty of a crime when a New York jury convicted him on 34 state felony counts earlier this year.
Another message on May 10 included a threat to kill the same justice by “lynching” and included a racial slur, according to legal documents.
Gee, three guesses as to who that particular justice might be. Hmm.
In unconfirmed reports, Internet sleuths have dug through FEC records and found over 80 small donations dating back to 2016 to ACT BLUE using the terms “Panos Anastasiou” and “Alaska.” It’s unclear, however, if it’s the same one who was arrested and indicted.
The full indictment can be read here (language warning).
This is a developing story. Please stay tuned to RedState for updates.
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