Rep. Dan Goldman Leads Bipartisan Effort to Protect Federal Judges From Doxxing and Threats

 

 

Washington, D.C – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) and Congresswoman Mikie Sherill (NJ-11) led a bipartisan group of 39 of their colleagues in writing to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science Chairman Hal Rogers (KY-05) and Ranking Member Grace Meng (NY-06) requesting that they provide $10 million for a program within the bipartisan Daniel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Act of 2022 for state and local governments to remove the personal information of federal judges and their families from the internet, such as property tax records that would list addresses. 

 

“As Donald Trump has escalated his attacks on federal judges, their safety and security are increasingly at risk. If judges alter their decisions out of fear for the safety of themselves and their families, then we no longer live under the rule of law,” Congressman Dan Goldman said. In order to enhance the security of federal judges, it is vital for Congress to fund this essential grant program and ensure that sensitive personal information, including home addresses, financial records, and details about family members, is kept private." 

 

Between 2015 and 2021, threats against federal judges rose by more than 450%, from 926 incidents in 2015 to 4,511 in 2021. The Trump administration’s recent rhetoric against individual judges who have rendered unfavorable rulings has only supercharged that trend, with threats against judges rising over 100% in the last six weeks alone. 

 

“Time is of the essence in implementing the Anderl Act’s protections for our federal judges and their families, as members of the Federal judiciary have been exposed to an increased number of personal threats in connection to their role,” the Members wrote. 

 

Named after Daniel Anderl—the son of a federal judge who was murdered by a disgruntled attorney who obtained the judge’s home address online—the law’s provisions authorizing anti-doxxing grants for state and local governments have never been funded. 

 

“The importance of the Anderl Act to our federal judiciary and to our federal legal system cannot be overstated. It is critical that Congress take action to protect all our public servants on the federal bench and prevent this type of violence and threats in the future. Our judiciary, and by extension, our democracy, cannot continue to bear this burden alone,” the Members concluded. 

 

 

 

 

Dear Chair Rogers and Ranking Member Meng: 

 

As you begin consideration of the Fiscal Year 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies appropriations bill, we ask that within the accounts funding the Department of Justice State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance account, you provide $10 million for the state and local government grant program authorized in Section 5934(c) of the Daniel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-263). 

 

This program permits the Attorney General to make grants to States or units of local governments so they can remove personal information about federal judges and their families from their websites, such as property tax records that would list federal judges’ addresses. 

 

Time is of the essence in implementing the Anderl Act’s protections for our federal judges and their families, as members of the Federal judiciary have been exposed to an increased number of personal threats in connection to their role.  Testifying before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and the Federal Government in February of this year, U.S. Marshals Service Director Ronald Davis said that threats against federal judges have doubled in the past 3 years. In fact, from 2015 to 2021, threats against federal court personnel jumped more than 450 percent, from 926 incidents recorded in 2015 to 4,511 incidents in 2021. 

 

Among the incidents demonstrating the unfortunate urgency of these measures is the 2020 murder of Daniel Anderl, for whom the legislation was named. The 20-year-old son of New Jersey District Judge Esther Salas, Daniel was shot and killed at home by a disgruntled lawyer who found the judge’s address on the internet and also critically wounded Judge Salas’ husband. 

 

After Judge James Robart’s 2017 decision to block former President Trump’s travel ban, critics posted the judge’s home phone and address online. Judge Robart received 40,000 messages, 1,100 of which were serious enough to be investigated, and so many death threats that U.S. marshals set up camp around his house. Additionally, in 2022, a California man was indicted for attempting to assassinate Justice Brett Kavanaugh. An FBI affidavit stated that the would-be assassin found Justice Kavanaugh’s address online. 

 

In his annual year-end report in December, Chief Justice Roberts warned about the rising number of threats to the judiciary's independence, including calls for violence against judges and “dangerous” suggestions by elected officials to disregard court rulings they disagree with. This warning was followed by another by the U.S. Marshals to federal judges indicating an “unusually high threat level” in March. The importance of the Anderl Act to our federal judiciary and to our federal legal system cannot be overstated. It is critical that Congress take action to protect all our public servants on the federal bench and prevent this type of violence and threats in the future. Our judiciary, and by extension, our democracy, cannot continue to bear this burden alone. 

 

Thank you for your consideration of this important request.