Special counsel Jack Smith was targeted by attempted swatting on Christmas Day
Category: News & Politics
Via: perrie-halpern • last year • 13 commentsBy: Michael Kosnar and Zoe Richards
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
WASHINGTON — Special counsel Jack Smith, who is overseeing the prosecution of former President Donald Trump in two federal cases, was the target of an attempted swatting at his Maryland residence on Christmas Day.
According to two law enforcement sources, someone called 911 and said that Smith had shot his wife at the address where Smith lives.
Montgomery County Police dispatched units toward the home but were called off when the Deputy U.S. Marshals protecting Smith and his family told police that it was a false alarm and that everyone inside the home was safe.
No arrests have been made in connection with the incident.
A spokesperson for the Special Counsel's Office declined to comment. Police and the U.S. Marshals Service are not commenting either.
Smith has faced a series of threats in the months since he brought an indictment against Trump related to the former president's alleged efforts to overturn his election loss in 2020.
Smith's attorney Cecil VanDevender previously told appeals court judges from the D.C. Circuit that Smith's office has "been subject to multiple threats" and "intimidating communication" after Trump published "inflammatory posts" about Smith.
Smith is also overseeing Trump's prosecution related to the alleged mishandling of classified documents at his Mar a Lago home. Trump has pleaded not guilty in both cases.
A Justice Department official told NBC News that more than $4.4 million was spent between April and September of last year on security provided by the U.S. Marshals Service for Smith and his team.
Trump was indicted in June in the classified documents probe, and indicted two months later in the election interference case.
NBC News reported earlier Monday that Tanya Chutkan, the federal judge overseeing the election interference case, appeared to be the victim of a similar swatting incident over the weekend.
Swatting involves the false reporting of a crime in progress to draw police to a certain location.
The election interference trial is scheduled to begin March 4, while the classified documents case is scheduled to go to trial on May 20.
Trump is expected to make an appearance at a courtroom in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday as circuit judges hear oral arguments on Trump's claim of presidential immunity from prosecution in the election interference case.
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There have been numerous reports of political swatting lately. I'm told, at least, some of these have origniated from outside the US.
it could be due to foreign actors, but my gut tells me that's just a misdirection or another layer of obscurity for the domestic terrorists that support the defendant in jack smith's pending trials.
A number of Republicans like Large Marg and several state capitals also got swatted. It looks like something Russia, China or NKorea would do in hoping to create some chaos.
I should have read this comment before I made a dumb one
somebody is getting paid. find the money trail, find the perps...
I would bet good money on QAnon
Russia perhaps?
If I remember correctly someone said the ones at various state capitals may have come out of China, but I could be mistaken.
The Missouri Secretary of State (who is a Republican) was a recent swatting victim as well.
So was MTG…
Didn't she and Boebert have a nasty fight about something recently?
This is the kind of BS that can (and does occur - it can get worse) when you do not keep guardrails up and don't follow the rules (of law) a society makes for itself! Outside 'actors' ("chaos players) begin to take pot-shots! We have been warning congress and the like about this all along!
Our system of government works best when its political wings, plural, abide by a proper set of rules. Right now the system has deliberately and purposefully CRIPPLED itself! And now that the cat is away (rules are toothless) the mice are playing.
This could get worse; somebody could get injured or die.
Swatting is wrong on all sides. It reminds me of pulling a fire alarm when no fire. What if on the other side of town, there were people dying because of those precious seconds that matter.