A California man, Marc Shultz, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly posting death threats against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who is prosecuting former President Donald Trump in an election interference conspiracy case.
Shultz, 66, faces charges of transmitting interstate threats to injure Willis due to her prosecution of Trump, according to prosecutors.
The threats, made in YouTube livestream comments last October, included statements suggesting Willis “will be killed like a dog,” authorities said.
U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan said such threats against public officials are criminal offenses that will not be tolerated. Shultz made his initial court appearance in Southern California and is scheduled for arraignment in Atlanta in June.
In response to the threats, Willis expressed gratitude to law enforcement for taking action to protect her and her staff.
The indictment comes amid ongoing legal battles in the case against Trump and 18 co-defendants, including attempts by the defense to have Willis and her office removed from the case.
This is not the first time Fani Will has been threatened. Last year, Arthur Ray Hanson, II, an Alabama man was indicted by a federal grand jury in Atlanta on charges of transmitting interstate threats to injure Willis and Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat because of their connections to the Fulton County, Georgia, investigation of former President Donald Trump.
Despite challenges from the defense, Willis and her team have pressed forward with the prosecution, alleging a Georgia RICO conspiracy to unlawfully change the outcome of the 2020 presidential election in favor of Trump.
The defense has recently argued that two charges should be dismissed, citing jurisdictional issues related to documents filed in federal courts.
The case has drawn significant attention due to its unprecedented nature and the high-profile individuals involved.
