Current:Home > FinanceSpecial counsel Jack Smith and Judge Tanya Chutkan, key figures in Trump 2020 election case, are latest victims of apparent "swatting" attempts-LoTradeCoin
Special counsel Jack Smith and Judge Tanya Chutkan, key figures in Trump 2020 election case, are latest victims of apparent "swatting" attempts
View Date:2024-12-23 16:42:26
Washington — Special counsel Jack Smith and U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, two key figures in the 2020 presidential election case against former President Donald Trump, were victims of apparent "swatting" attempts in recent weeks, joining a growing number of public figures targeted with the hoax phone calls.
Local police were called to Smith's home near Washington, D.C., on Christmas Day after a false report of a shooting, though they were informed he is under federal protection and did not respond. NBC News first reported the incident at Smith's residence.
The FBI has warned that "swatting" calls are dangerous to law enforcement and victims surprised by authorities descending upon their homes. Dispatching officers in response to a call can also be costly, the bureau said in a 2022 notice, and take them away from emergencies. The FBI launched a national database to track "swatting" incidents last year.
The report of a swatting attempt aimed at Smith came just a day after U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing the 2020 presidential election case involving Trump, was targeted in a separate apparent "swatting" attempt at her home late Sunday night, three sources with knowledge of the incident confirmed to CBS News.
Law enforcement was dispatched in response to a false call of a shooting at a Washington, D.C., residence, according to local police and public audio from the fire department. The sources confirmed to CBS News the home belonged to Chutkan, who was home at the time, and property records list her as the owner.
Smith's office and the U.S. Marshals Service, which protects federal judges, declined to comment.
According to the audio, the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department responded to a call about a shooting at the address of a home in Washington belonging to Chutkan. Several minutes after they arrived at the address, a first responder with the fire department told the dispatcher that they had thoroughly searched the area with police and "found nothing."
An incident report from the Metropolitan Police Department shows officers responded to a call referring to a shooting around 10 p.m. local time. After arriving on the scene, a woman unidentified in the report "advised that she was not injured and that there was no one in her home," D.C. police said. Law enforcement cleared the home and nothing was found, according to the report.
The incidents involving Smith and Chutkan, who sits on the federal district court in Washington, come after several lawmakers were the victims of "swatting" attempts at their homes. The practice typically involves hoax phone calls placed to law enforcement that prompt police to be dispatched to the homes of prominent figures.
Others who have been targeted in swatting attempts include Sen. Rick Scott, a Florida Republican, and GOP Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Brandon Williams of New York.
The opening days of 2024 have also brought a series of bomb threats to at least five different state capitols, prompting building closures and evacuations. No explosives were found by law enforcement after searches of the targeted state capitols.
Chutkan is presiding over the case brought against Trump by Smith over alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. The former president has pleaded not guilty to the four charges he faces.
The trial in the case is set to begin March 4, though proceedings are paused for now while Trump pursues an appeal on whether he is entitled to broad immunity from federal prosecution. Chutkan denied Trump's request to dismiss the charges on immunity grounds, and the D.C. Circuit is weighing the matter.
The judge separately received a threatening voicemail in early August, shortly after a federal grand jury indicted Trump. The caller said "we are coming to kill you," and "you will be targeted personally, publicly, your family, all of it," according to court filings. A Texas woman was arrested and charged with threatening Chutkan.
Robert LegareRobert Legare is a CBS News multiplatform reporter and producer covering the Justice Department, federal courts and investigations. He was previously an associate producer for the "CBS Evening News with Norah O'Donnell."
veryGood! (57614)
Related
- Residents urged to shelter in place after apparent explosion at Louisville business
- Tearful Adele Proves Partner Rich Paul Is Her One and Only
- Meta makes end-to-end encryption a default on Facebook Messenger
- UNLV shooting suspect dead after 3 killed on campus, Las Vegas police say
- FanDuel Sports Network regional channels will be available as add-on subscription on Prime Video
- Democratic bill with billions in aid for Ukraine and Israel fails to clear first Senate hurdle
- NFL Week 14 odds: Moneylines, point spreads, over/under
- Democracy activist Agnes Chow says she still feels under the Hong Kong police’s watch in Canada
- It's cozy gaming season! Video game updates you may have missed, including Stardew Valley
- Florida woman sets Tinder date's car on fire over money, report says; both were injured
Ranking
- Saving for retirement? How to account for Social Security benefits
- British poet and political activist Benjamin Zephaniah dies at age 65
- Las Vegas shooter dead after killing 3 in campus assault on two buildings: Updates
- 'The Voice' contestant Tom Nitti reveals 'gut-wrenching' reason for mid-season departure
- The boy was found in a ditch in Wisconsin in 1959. He was identified 65 years later.
- What does 'delulu' mean? Whether on Tiktok or text, here's how to use the slang term.
- Texas judge to consider pregnant woman’s request for order allowing her to have an abortion
- Beyoncé celebrates 'Renaissance' film debuting at No. 1: 'Worth all the grind'
Recommendation
-
Study finds Wisconsin voters approved a record number of school referenda
-
What is aerobic exercise? And what are some examples?
-
A simpler FAFSA's coming. But it won't necessarily make getting money easier. Here's why.
-
Families had long dialogue after Pittsburgh synagogue attack. Now they’ve unveiled a memorial design
-
Reese Witherspoon's Daughter Ava Phillippe Introduces Adorable New Family Member
-
Japan pledges $4.5B more in aid for Ukraine, including $1B in humanitarian funds
-
New York Jets to start Zach Wilson vs. Texans 2 weeks after he was demoted to third string
-
What does 'delulu' mean? Whether on Tiktok or text, here's how to use the slang term.