Federal authorities have charged a 65-year-old Illinois man, Eric James Rennert, with making violent threats against a federal judge in Florida, according to an indictment revealed on Thursday. Rennert faces five federal charges for allegedly making interstate threats and threatening to assault, kidnap, and murder a federal judge. Prosecutors also accuse him of threatening to harm or kidnap members of the judge’s family.
The indictment does not name the judge who received the threats but notes that the incidents took place in St. Lucie County, Florida. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who oversaw the criminal case involving Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents, is based in that county along with another federal magistrate judge.
The U.S. attorney’s office in Miami, which filed the indictment, and representatives from the federal court in the Southern District of Florida have not commented on the case. The threats occurred on three separate occasions in May and July, and according to the indictment, Rennert made them in retaliation for the judge’s “performance of official duties.”
Authorities have arrested Rennert and will transport him to Florida for his next court appearance. He has not yet entered a plea.
Judge Cannon, appointed by Trump during his presidency, gained widespread attention for her handling of the classified documents case. In July, she dismissed all charges, citing that Special Counsel Jack Smith, the lead prosecutor, had been unlawfully appointed. Prosecutors are currently appealing that ruling, aiming to reinstate the charges. If successful, the trial would not begin until after the November 5 presidential election, where Trump faces Democrat Kamala Harris.
Recently, Cannon was assigned to preside over the case of a man accused of attempting to assassinate Trump at his Florida golf course. In another incident, a Texas woman received a three-year prison sentence in February for admitting to threatening Cannon.
This case highlights the rising threats against federal judges, reflecting a broader increase in violent rhetoric directed at public officials in the U.S.
