An Illinois man has been arrested for allegedly threatening to kidnap and murder a federal judge in the same district where a bombshell ruling tossing the criminal documents case against Donald Trump came down in July.
Eric James Rennert, 65, was busted in the Prairie State for threatening to assault, kidnap and kill the judge and for threatening to hurt or kidnap the jurist’s family members as well, prosecutors allege.
The judge was not identified in court papers. But the indictment did specify that the threats were made in St. Lucie County, Fla. — the same county that federal Judge Aileen Cannon presides.
Only one other federal magistrate judge is based out of the Fort Pierce courthouse where Cannon works.
Cannon — a Trump appointee — on July 15 tossed out the entire criminal indictment against the former president for allegedly hoarding troves of confidential documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate after leaving office and then attempting to cover it up.
Rennert allegedly made threats three times in May and July as retaliation for the judge’s “performance of official duties,” an indictment alleges.
Rennert appeared in an Urbana, Ill., federal court Thursday where a judge ordered he be held without bail. Rennert must be transported to Florida for an upcoming detention hearing.
Cannon dismissed the case against Trump and others, claiming that Jack Smith’s appointment as special counsel in the case was unconstitutional. Smith’s office is currently appealing Cannon’s ruling.
Coincidentally, Cannon was randomly assigned the case against alleged would-be Trump assassin Ryan Wesley Routh, after the gunman was caught with an assault rifle stalking the Republican presidential nominee while he was golfing at his West Palm Beach, Fla. course on Sept. 15.
Routh has pleaded not guilty.
It was not immediately known who would be representing Rennert in Florida. Reps for the Florida US Attorney’s Office and for the court of the Southern District of Florida both did not immediately return requests for comment Friday afternoon.
With Post wires
