"The more that people like #ElonMusk are putting on the wall the idea that it's appropriate to attack these judges for nothing more than ruling against the federal government, the more that we're normalizing what really are in the main very serious threats to #JudicialIndependence," Stephen Vladeck, a law professor at Georgetown University, said.

Efforts to undermine the #judiciary come at the same time the #Trump admin has moved to fire lawyers inside the #DOJ & the #Pentagon, penalize private law firms who represented clients Trump does not like, & to back away from participation in the activities of the #ABA.

Congressional #Republicans close to the president even have proposed #impeachment proceedings against a few of those judges, who serve for life.

#ElonMusk, who oversees #DOGE making cuts to federal agencies, himself has repeatedly posted on social media about impeaching #judges who delay or block parts of #Trump's agenda.

>6 weeks into the 2nd #Trump admin, there is a chill spreading over political debate [#speech] in Washington & beyond.

People on both sides of the aisle who would normally be part of the public dialogue about the big issues of the day say they are intimidated by the prospect of online attacks from #Trump & #ElonMusk, concerned about harm to their companies & frightened for the #safety of their #families.

…Federal courts are hearing >100 lawsuits challenging the admin’s initiatives, many of them focused on efforts driven by #Musk & his team at #DOGE to purge hundreds of thousands of #FederalWorkers & dramatically scale back govt #aid & #regulatory programs.

#Trump & his WH press sec also have criticized judges they describe as activists who have issued orders that slowed or blocked some of those efforts.

Reuters interviews w/11 federal judges in multiple districts revealed mounting alarm over their physical #security &, in some cases, a rise in #violent #threats in recent weeks. Most spoke on condition of anonymity & said they did not want to further inflame the situation or make comments that could be interpreted as conflicting w/their duties of impartiality.…

#Musk, the world's richest person, has lambasted judges in more than 30 posts since the end of Jan on his social media site, calling them “corrupt,” “radical,” “evil” & deriding the "TYRANNY of the JUDICIARY" after judges blocked parts of the federal downsizing that he’s led. Musk has also reposted nearly two dozen tweets by others attacking judges.

In recent weeks, #Musk, congressional #Republicans & other top allies of Trump have called for the impeachment of some federal judges or attacked their integrity in response to court rulings that have slowed the #Trump admin's moves to dismantle entire government agencies & fire tens of thousands of workers.

Here are screenshots of the letters. Remember, #EdMartin, Trump’s interim US Atty in DC, is a guy who advocated for the #Jan6 insurgents, who was himself AT THE CAPITOL during the #insurrection & #Trump incited more #PoliticalViolence than any US politician in recent history. What a joke.

Kelley was among the >1,500 defendants who received a #pardon from #Trump on Jan 20 for their actions during the #Jan6 #insurrection.….

Kelley’s attorney has argued that Trump’s mass pardon of Jan. 6 *rioters* should apply to Kelley’s #conviction in the #murder plot because it “directly relates to the events at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.”

Prosecutors wrote that Kelley "devised a plan to murder federal, state, & local law enforcement in East Tennessee."

The #DOJ said evidence at trial showed Kelley developed a “kill list” of #FBI special agents & others who investigated his conduct. “Every hit has to hurt,” Kelley said to a co-conspirator…. “Every hit has to hurt.”

The 9 unnamed #FBI agents who filed the lawsuit on Tues alleged, "The purpose for this list is to identify agents to be #terminated or to suffer other adverse employment action."

Their attorneys asked for a #jury #trial & wrote that the agents feared "this list might be published by allies of President #Trump, thus placing themselves & their families in #immediate danger of #retribution."

On Friday, acting Deputy AG [& #Trump’s #criminal defense attorney — for real] #EmilBove ordered Acting #FBI Director #BrianDriscoll to compile a list of all current & former FBI employees who were assigned "at any time" to the #Jan6 investigation "to determine whether any additional personnel actions are necessary," acc/to a memo reviewed by CBS News.

On Sun, >1k #FBI agents across the country were asked to complete questionnaires about their involvement in the #Jan6 & other #Trump probes as part of a #DOJ *evaluation of the workforce*. On his first day in office, Trump granted clemency to roughly 1,500 defendants who had been convicted of crimes on #Jan6.

The agents are suing the #Trump *#Justice* Dept & its interim head, Acting AG #JamesMcHenry, in a #ClassAction lawsuit on behalf of ALL affected #FBI agents. They are asking a federal judge to prevent the public release of the names of the agents who could face scrutiny.

Tue's lawsuit is the latest salvo in an ongoing rift between career FBI employees & Trump #DOJ leadership over the admin's potential personnel changes within the bureau.