In a recent interview with ABC's "This Week," Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco expressed concern over an alarming increase in threats against public officials, including law enforcement agents, prosecutors, judges, and election officials.
"We are seeing that and responding to it," she stated, highlighting the gravity of the situation.
Monaco revealed that just in the past week, there have been cases involving threats to kill FBI agents, a Supreme Court justice, and three presidential candidates. This comes on the heels of a New Hampshire man being indicted for sending death threats to three White House contenders via text messages. Additionally, a Florida man recently pleaded guilty to a count related to threats against Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.
Monaco receives "urgent reports" from US attorneys nationwide, detailing these threats. While many of these threats or tips are resolved without incident, a significant number develop into full-fledged investigations. "Today as we sit here, the FBI has opened more than 100 investigations coming out of those reports," she disclosed.
This warning follows FBI Director Christopher Wray's testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this month, where he expressed concern over the potential for terror attacks. Monaco echoed his sentiments, stating, "I think we are in a very, very challenging threat environment."
She further elaborated on the unique threat landscape, expressing concern over individuals or small groups often radicalized online and influenced by a range of ideologies.
Amidst these concerns, some Republicans in Congress have criticized the FBI and DOJ for alleged political bias in their investigations, particularly those involving former President Donald Trump and current first son Hunter Biden. Monaco dismissed these accusations, stating they "bear no resemblance to the Justice Department that I know."
She defended the integrity of the Justice Department, praising the dedicated men and women who serve without regard to who's in the White House or Congress. "It really bothers me when I hear those claims because it does a disservice to the men and women of the Justice Department," she remarked.
Monaco also refuted claims that President Biden has attempted to influence the investigation into his son, the two special counsel probes into Trump, or the examination of Biden's handling of classified documents dating back to his time as a US senator.
The Deputy Attorney General has previously faced criticism from Trump on his social media platform, Truth Social. Last month, he referred to her and other DOJ officials, including special counsel Jack Smith, as a "team of losers and misfits."
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