US judges warned to prepare for election-year security risks at courthouses

By Nate Raymond

(Reuters) – A top security official in the U.S. federal judiciary warned judges earlier this week that courthouses could face security threats as the Nov. 5 election approaches, noting that they are often targeted “during times of increased national tension.”

Paul Gamble, the chief of the facilities and security office of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, stressed in a memo reviewed by Reuters that was dated Sept. 23 that no court facilities had been impacted by any recent election-related security events.

But he said law enforcement and intelligence organizations had alerted the court system “about security concerns related to events and incidents connected to the upcoming election, including recent suspicious letters sent to state officials.”

He attached an alert the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service issued earlier this month after election officials in multiple states received letters containing suspicious substances. The alert contained a picture of one such letter from a sender identified as “United States Traitor Elimination Army.”

Gamble advised courts to discuss potential local threats with the U.S. Marshals Service and others involved in security preparedness; coordinate with local law enforcement about protective measures that could be implemented; and review procedures for emergency notifications and the safe handling of mail.

The Administrative Office, the judiciary’s administrative arm, had no comment.

Early voting is already underway in several states ahead of the Nov. 5 election, in which Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris is facing Republican former President Donald Trump in the presidential contest.

Courts are bracing for a surge in election-related litigation, some of which is already underway.

The judiciary has sought to bolster security following an increase in threats to judges nationally, as documented in a Reuters investigation. Serious threats against federal judges rose to 457 in fiscal year 2023, which ended on Sept. 30, from 224 in fiscal year 2021, according to the Marshals Service, which is charged with providing protective services to members of the judiciary.

The spike spanned a period that began around the 2020 presidential election, when courts heard a series of highly politicized cases, including failed lawsuits by Trump and his backers seeking to overturn his loss to Joe Biden, the current U.S. president.

The judiciary is also guarding against the risk of cyber breaches by foreign actors who could seek to interfere with election-related litigation and spread misinformation.