By Russ Bynum

Authorities in Georgia said Thursday they're investigating threats targeting members of the grand jury that indicted former President Donald Trump and 18 of his allies.

Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat's office said investigators are working to trace the origin of the threats after the names of grand jury members and other personal information were posted online. The sheriff's office said other local, state and federal law enforcement agencies were assisting.

“We take this matter very seriously and are coordinating with our law enforcement partners to respond quickly to any credible threat and to ensure the safety of those individuals who carried out their civic duty,” the sheriff's office said in a statement.

A Fulton County grand jury returned a 41-count indictment Monday charging Trump and 18 others with illegally conspiring to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia.

Though the grand jury proceedings were secret, the unredacted names of the grand jury members were included in the indictment. That's standard practice in Georgia, in part because it gives criminal defendants a chance to challenge the composition of the grand jury. The indictment itself is a public record.

The American Bar Association condemned any threats as well as the sharing of other personal information about the grand jurors online.

“The civic-minded members of the Georgia grand jury performed their duty to support our democracy,” the association's statement said. “It is unconscionable that their lives should be upended and safety threatened for being good citizens.”

Amid a rise in violent rhetoric directed toward public officials, the Georgia grand jurors aren't the only ones to face threats over their involvement in the four pending criminal cases against Trump.

A woman in Texas has been charged with making an Aug. 5 phone call threatening to kill U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing the federal case against Trump in Washington. And FBI agents on Aug. 9 killed an armed Utah man facing arrest on charges of making violent threats against President Joe Biden and law enforcement officials involved in prosecuting Trump.

Share:
More In Politics
NYC Comptroller on New Laws Protecting App-Based Food Delivery Workers
Big Apple workers who deliver for food apps like Doordash and Grubhub will now receive a number of legal protections provided through a package of new regulations that have started going into effect. These updated rules include more control over their deliveries, pay and tip transparency, a higher minimum pay rate, and access to restaurant bathrooms during the workday. New York City Comptroller Brad Lander joined Cheddar to elaborate on the regulations and how the platform holders reacted. "I have to say it's a mixed bag," he said. "Grubhub actually welcomed the legislation and said they recognize they need to do better by their deliveristas, but DoorDash, unfortunately, has actually been pushing back against the legislation."
Nonprofit Supernova Women Calls for California Cannabis Tax Cuts for Social Equity
Legal cannabis businesses are having a hard time surviving in California with the high cost of doing business and a still-thriving illicit market. In response, nonprofit Supernova Women, founded by women of color, is advocating on behalf of Black and brown shareholders in the cannabis industry. Amber Senter, co-founder, executive director, and chairman of the organization, spoke with Cheddar News about calling for changes in the Golden State's taxation system for legal marijuana. "We're really leaning on the legislators now to support the industry and make sure that this industry, in particular craft cannabis, can survive," said Senter.
National Restaurants Association Demands Congress Help Owners Amid Omicron
After being among the hardest-hit industries by the pandemic, restaurants are still having a hard time staying afloat, with owners claiming that business is worse now due to closures from staff shortages and customer decline than it was three months ago. Mike Whatley, vice president of state affairs and grassroots advocacy for the National Restaurant Association, spoke to Cheddar News about how the sector is reaching out to lawmakers for help. "Working with Senators Wicker, Sinema, and a whole host of bipartisan leaders, we're trying to get the Restaurant Revitalization Fund replenished," Whatley said.
Fmr. FBI Agent Peter Strzok On Russia, Trump, and The FBI
The memoir, "COMPROMISED: Counterintelligence and the Threat of Donald J. Trump", tells a familiar story from a bit of a different source: Peter Strzok himself, former FBI Counterintelligence Agents and Agency Veteran who spent most of his very long career investigating some of the most controversial inquiries, most notably in recent American history. Those inquiries were Hillary Clinton's email to even Trump Russia investigations. Former FBI Agent and Author of "Compromised" Peter Strzok, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Looking Back at Biden's First Year in Office And The Road Ahead
President Biden's first year did not come to the close that he had hoped after last night's Senate vote blocked the voting rights bill, a priority that Biden has promoted since his inauguration. Joining us to discuss the voting rights bill, and many others passing through congress is congresswoman Lori Trahan, representing Massachusett's 3rd district.
Load More