Court staff and Judge Engoron face a surge in violent threats and harassment following Trump’s online attacks

The court overseeing Donald Trump’s fraud trial in New York has been inundated with a torrent of credible death threats and antisemitic abuse, according to the court’s public safety officer. The harassment began after Trump targeted Judge Arthur Engoron and his staff online, leading to an escalation of threats against them.

A filing revealed that both Judge Engoron and his clerk received hundreds of violent messages, including threats of execution and severe personal insults, some of which were transcribed into over 275 pages of voicemails. One chilling message said, “You should be executed,” while another warned, “I will come for you. I don’t care. Ain’t nobody gonna stop me either.”

These threats have prompted the court to implement gag orders to prevent further harassment. However, when Trump violated these orders, the flood of abusive messages intensified. According to Charles Hollon, an officer with the court’s Department of Public Safety, the threats have created an ongoing security risk not just for the judge and his staff, but also for their families.

Trump’s comments about court clerk Allison Greenfield sparked even more abuse, with her personal information being compromised and subjected to daily harassment, much of it antisemitic in nature. The filing details harrowing voicemail transcriptions, including one that subjected Greenfield to disgusting verbal abuse.

In response to the increasing threats, Judge Engoron has appealed to higher courts, stating that the First Amendment protections for Trump and his attorneys do not outweigh the need to protect the court staff from violence and intimidation.

This legal battle, part of the ongoing lawsuit from New York Attorney General Letitia James, could potentially lead to a collapse of Trump’s real estate empire in New York, with substantial fines on the horizon.

Federal judges are also considering gag orders in another case involving Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, as similar patterns of threats and harassment have emerged against legal professionals involved in his cases.

The ongoing attacks on the judiciary and court staff illustrate a growing culture of intimidation stemming from Trump’s rhetoric, raising concerns about the safety of those working on his numerous legal challenges.