WASHINGTON — The White House and its top Republican allies in Congress have, for now, snubbed federal judges who asked for additional security funds as a result of a recent spike in violent threats.
While a short-term government funding bill House Republicans unveiled Tuesday included $30 million in security funds for members of Congress and $28 million to help protect justices of the Supreme Court, it didn’t include the money requested for security for lower court judges.
The request was made by the U.S. Judicial Conference, the policy arm of the judiciary, which held its biannual meeting in Washington on Tuesday.
The Republican stopgap bill “does not provide additional money for the lower court’s judicial security,” federal Appeals Judge Amy St. Eve, who serves on the Judicial Conference’s budget committee, said on a call with reporters shortly after its release.
The judiciary is “particularly concerned” about the lack of additional funding for both security and services that provide legal assistance to criminal defendants, she added.
The security funds would go toward equipment needed to secure courthouses, such as security cameras and metal detectors, St. Eve said.
Federal judges have faced an increase in threats this year — 364 so far — according to the most recent data issued by the U.S. Marshals Service. Last year, 379 judges faced threats across the entire year.
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FBI Director Kash Patel testified Tuesday on Capitol Hill that there are 35 open investigations into threats against judges, 17 of whom are federal judges.
Asked about the security funding, House Republican leaders sources said they fulfilled the requests sent by the White House Office of Management and Budget. A spokesperson for OMB didn't immediately reply to a message seeking comment.
The bill, which would fund the federal government until Nov. 21 and temporarily avoid a shutdown on Oct. 1, also includes $30 million in additional funds for the Marshals Service, which protects lower court judges, as well as other federal officials. A Marshals Service spokesman didn’t respond to a request seeking comment on what the money was sought for.
The security situation this year for judges has been precarious, with threats continuing to rise amid harsh criticism from the Trump administration when it loses cases in lower courts.
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Those rulings have frequently been swiftly overturned by the conservative-majority Supreme Court.
After the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, President Donald Trump said in a video message that he wanted to root out those who commit political violence, including those who target “our judges," without specifying what he meant by that description.
Administration officials have accused lower court judges of staging a "judicial coup" in ruling against the president.
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., a member of the Judiciary Committee, said Tuesday it is his understanding that the lower courts aren’t getting the security resources they need.
“I think it’s the district courts that have borne the brunt of the MAGA threat barrage,” Whitehouse told NBC News. “And they need additional resources.”
Some judges have said they fear for their safety, telling NBC News that Chief Justice John Roberts, as head of the Judicial Conference, should do more to defend the judiciary.
Asked whether such concerns were aired during the Judicial Conference meeting Tuesday, Appeals Judge Jeffrey Sutton, who chairs the executive committee of the Judicial Conference, said the discussions are confidential.
But, he added, "judges are used to being criticized, and that's part of the job. It's when we get to threats that we have a problem."
