Tanya Chutkan, the U.S. District Judge for former President Donald Trump’s federal election interference case, was targeted in a prank at her residence earlier this week.
Police in Washington, D.C., responded to a bogus call about a shooting at Chutkan’s property on Sunday, Jan. 7, The Associated Press reported. Officers soon discovered that a shooting had not taken place that night, and she was a victim of swatting — when someone makes a false report of a crime to lure law enforcement to a specific location. The person behind the call is unknown.
Chutkan has been at the center of Trump’s online antics. In one instance on his platform in Truth Social, the former president labeled her a “TRUE TRUMP HATER” and accused her of not being able to run a fair trial. It came after Chutkan placed a limited gag order on Trump to prohibit him from attacking special counsel Jack Smith — the prosecutor overseeing two cases against him — or Smith’s staff or potential witnesses.
“Mr. Trump is a criminal defendant. He is facing four felony charges. He is under the custody of the criminal justice system,” Chutkan said at the time. “He does not have the right to say and do exactly as he pleases.”
Per the AP, there has been a recent trend of swatting incidents against prominent officials, in what Attorney General Merrick Garland called “deeply disturbing” and “unacceptable.” On Christmas, Smith was also targeted after someone falsely reported to police that he shot his spouse at his Maryland home.
The U.S. Marshals protecting Smith had to inform officers with Montgomery County Police that the call was phony, according to NBC News.
Trump’s trial is slated to start in early March.
Over the summer, a woman was taken into custody for making a phone call to the courthouse in Washington, D.C., allegedly threatening Chutkan, saying, “You are in our sights; we want to kill you.” Abigail Jo Shry reportedly told authorities she did it.
