Judge overseeing Trump's D.C. prosecution hit with "swatting" call

Police determined that a report of "multiple people shot" at Judge Tanya Chutkan's home was "unfounded"

Published January 8, 2024 1:03PM (EST)

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan (L), pays respect to the late retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor as she lies in repose at the U.S. Supreme Court on December 18, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan (L), pays respect to the late retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor as she lies in repose at the U.S. Supreme Court on December 18, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

The judge overseeing former president Donald Trump's Washington D.C. election subversion case was subject to a "swatting" call over the weekend. The Messenger reported that the call was placed to Chutkan's home on Saturday night, shortly after 10pm. Police in the area were notified that "multiple people were shot," but quickly determined that the bogus report was "unfounded," per reports on X/Twitter. 

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Rep. Brandon Williams R-N.Y., also faced similar "swatting" calls at their personal residences last month. Last week, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger called on lawmakers to address the uptick in the phony calls by passing an anti-swatting bill that would enforce harsher penalties for reporting nonexistent threats. “It is deeply troubling to see a rise in swatting and other physical threats. We expect heightened tensions as we head into a major presidential election,” Raffensperger said in a news release. “We expect American citizens to engage in the democratic process — not resort to cowardly acts of intimidation,” he continued. “We’re committed to upholding our democratic principles and fighting for an environment in which citizens can freely and safely participate.”