DOJ staffers ask leadership to protect them over surge in political violence threats

Nearly 2,000 Justice Department (DOJ) staffers on Thursday urged the agency's leadership to protect them against growing threats of political violence heading toward Election Day.

Department leadership is already aware of some of the threats. Attorney General Merrick Garland in September voiced concerns about “conspiracy theories, dangerous falsehoods, [and] efforts to bully and intimidate career public servants,” and the DOJ has filed cases against people accused of threatening violence against DOJ staffers in Colorado, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Florida.

Some of the instances outlined in the letter to Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco and Assistant Attorney General Jolene Lauria, involve employees who handled January 6 cases and immigration cases, according to Politico.

The staffers in the letter acknowledged that agency leadership has commented on some of the recent cases, but claimed more actions need to be taken to deter future threats.

“There has been an uptick in doxing against government officials since January 6, 2021, and experts believe the election could exacerbate the problem exponentially,” the staffers wrote. “While Justice Department employees are unusually vulnerable to doxing and other online threats, the Department is uniquely equipped to mitigate the harm they pose. 

"We ask you to do every reasonable thing in your power to protect our safety and health in the face of unprecedented threats, and we stand ready to help in any way we can,” they added.

The letter included some suggestions such as creating a team to respond to the threats, and a centralized portal where staffers can report the threats.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.