The top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee is urging federal officials to investigate pizza deliveries being made to various judges, describing them as threats.
The pizzas have been sent to various judges, including Supreme Court justices, and relatives of judges, including the sister of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett. Some deliveries were made in the name of Daniel Anderl, the son of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas. Anderl was murdered at his home in 2020 by a person posing as a deliveryman.
Salas, who is based in New Jersey, said during an April appearance on MSNBC that hundreds of pizzas have been sent to judges across the country, at times late at night.
“What does that say to those judges? It says, ‘I know where you live, I know where your kids live, and do you want to end up like Judge Salas, do you want to end up like her son?’” she said.
She said she was told the deliveries were under investigation.
“These incidents threaten not only judges and their families, but also judicial independence and the rule of law,” Durbin told Bondi and Patel. “It is imperative that the Justice Department (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigate these anonymous or pseudonymous deliveries and that those responsible be held accountable to the full extent of the law.”
Durbin said that officials should immediately launch an investigation. He said that if they have already started probing the deliveries, he requests an update on what authorities have found.
Durbin also asked that officials provide information on any steps they’ve taken to protect the judges who have received, or whose family members have received, the pizzas.
The DOJ did not respond to a request for comment.
When asked if she had a comment on the situation, she said, “Not yet, but we will.”
