A senior Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee is demanding an explanation from the Department of Justice (DOJ) on why a potential assassin was able to threaten U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon for months.
On Monday, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa., sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe of the Southern District of Florida asking why law enforcement officials took four months to indict a would-be assassin of Cannon.
“On September 25, 2024, Eric James Rennert was indicted for making violent threats to assault, kidnap, and murder U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who dismissed charges against former President Trump related to his handling of classified information,” Grassley wrote. “However, according to the indictment, Rennert began making threats against Judge Cannon and her family as early as May 25, 2024.”
In July, Judge Cannon tossed the federal government’s charges brought against former President Donald Trump in Florida after DOJ stormtroopers raided his Mar-a-Lago residence two years ago. Court filings show the FBI was authorized to use “deadly force” to conduct the raid that allowed agents to confiscate any record Trump might have interacted with as president. Judge Cannon ultimately dropped the charges after finding prosecutor Jack Smith’s appointment as special counsel was unconstitutional.
Judge Cannon’s reluctance to fast-track the unprecedented proceedings throughout the criminal case against the former president put a target on her back by Democrats desperate for a conviction before the November election. Just before Judge Cannon effectively killed the
