FBI looking into surge in threats against Colorado justices who ruled Trump can't be on primary ballot

The J. Edgar Hoover Building of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is seen in Washington, DC, April 03, 2019. Eric Baradat/AFP via Getty Images, FILE

(WASHINGTON) -- The FBI has gotten involved following a surge in violent threats against the Colorado Supreme Court justices who ruled earlier this week that former President Donald Trump was disqualified from appearing on the 2024 primary ballot.

“The FBI is aware of the situation and working with local law enforcement,” the agency said in a statement to ABC News. “We will vigorously pursue —investigations of any threat or use of violence committed by someone who uses extremist views to justify their actions regardless of motivation.”

The threats to the justices come as Lisa Monaco, the number two ranking official at the Justice Department, told ABC News in an exclusive interview for This Week that in an extremely challenging terror threat environment – threats against public officials are also spiking to levels never before seen.

“Well, what we've seen is an unprecedented rise in threats to public officials across the board: law enforcement agents, prosecutors, judges and election officials. And we are seeing that and responding to it,” she said.

Monaco said this week alone, the FBI is investigating “cases involving threats to kill FBI agents, a Supreme Court justice, and three presidential candidates.”

Friday, December 22, 2023 at 8:59AM by Pierre Thomas, Jack Date and Alexander Mallin, ABC News Permalink