A woman in Texas has been arrested and charged for reportedly sending a racist and threatening voice message to a federal judge assigned to Former President Donald Trump’s election interference case. Prosecutors alleged that Abigail Jo Shry left the message for Judge Tanya Chutkan on the night of Aug. 5.
According to an affidavit signed by special agent Joshua Henry with The Federal Protective Service, Shry said things like, “You are in our sights, we want to kill you” and “You will be targeted personally, publicly, your family, all of it.” Similar threats were also made toward Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas. Both Chutkan and Lee are Black.
Shry’s house in the Houston metropolitan area was visited by special agents with the Department of Homeland Security several days after the voice message was left. After allegedly admitting to having made the call and making further vague threats, Shry was arrested. At a subsequent detention hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Sam S. Sheldon of the Southern District of Texas issued an order for her to remain in custody until trial.
Shry has been charged with a federal count of transmission in interstate or foreign commerce of any communication containing a threat to injure the person of another. It is unclear what penalties she may be facing if found guilty. Shry’s public defender and the federal court in Washington, D.C. declined to comment on the matter.
Earlier this month, Donald Trump was indicted on four felony charges related to allegedly conspiring to overturn the 2020 election. After Chutkan was assigned to the case, Trump attacked her on social media, referring to the judge as “very unbiased and unfair.” Trump has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.
The former president is now facing four criminal cases, the latest of which accused him and 18 others of attempting to subvert the results of the 2020 election in Georgia. That indictment was secured by the Fulton County district attorney on Monday (Aug. 14).