A man from Las Vegas, Spencer Gear, 32, has been accused of threatening to assault and kill federal officials, judges, and state employees in multiple states, as per a federal indictment. The charges include threats directed towards individuals involved in the prosecution of former President Donald J. Trump.
Mr. Gear faces 10 counts of threatening a federal official and 12 counts of transmitting threats to injure. Following a plea of not guilty in the U.S. District Court in Las Vegas, he was taken into federal custody.
In a detention order issued by Magistrate Judge Brenda Weksler, a recorded telephone message on June 3 was highlighted. The message was aimed at a judge and a district attorney referred to as A.B. and J.M. in the indictment, likely Alvin Bragg and Juan Merchan, respectively, who were involved in Mr. Trump’s hush-money trial in New York.
Judge Weksler expressed concern over the language used in the message, which was left the Monday after Mr. Trump was found guilty of all 34 charges in an illegal scheme related to the 2016 election. Mr. Trump’s defense team has requested Justice Merchan to overturn the verdict, citing immunity granted by the U.S. Supreme Court for actions taken while in office.
The defense argues that this immunity invalidates certain evidence presented in Manhattan, including testimonies and social media posts made by Mr. Trump during his presidency. Justice Merchan is expected to make a ruling on this matter in September.
