FBI probes threats to Colorado judges in Trump ballot case

Denver police on Tuesday said they were investigating possible threats against state Supreme Court justices.

Last week, the court blocked former US President Donald Trump from the state's presidential primary ballot.

What the police said

"The Denver Police Department is currently investigating incidents directed at Colorado Supreme Court justices and will continue working with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to thoroughly investigate any reports of threats or harassment," police said in a statement on Tuesday.

The FBI said it was assisting local law enforcement in the investigation.

"We will vigorously pursue investigations of any threat or use of violence committed by someone who uses extremist views to justify their actions regardless of motivation," a spokesperson for the Denver's FBI office said in a statement.

The justices ruled 4-3 on December 19 that Trump should be disqualified for engaging in insurrection.

After two days, Denver police were called to one of the justice's homes in what was later described as a hoax report. The incident is still being investigated.

What was the court's decision?

The decision by Colorado's top court overturned a ruling from a district court judge who found that Trump incited an insurrection for his role in the January 6 attack on the Capitol.

However, it said he could not be barred from the ballot because it was unclear that the US Constitution's insurrection clause was intended to cover the presidency.

The state Supreme Court didn't agree, and stayed its decision until January 4, or until the US Supreme Court makes a ruling on the case. Colorado officials say the issue must be settled by January 5, which is the deadline for the state to print its presidential primary ballots.

Some media outlets such as NBC News have since reported there has been a rise in violent rhetoric on online forums, directed at the four judges who ruled against Trump.

Reports said the posts had shared the judges' personal information, and calls for violence against them.

Trump has recently increased making inflammatory remarks against his opposers, and posted a Christmas Day message on his Truth Social platform calling on his political opponents to "rot in hell."

On Tuesday, he posted a poll on Truth Social saying that the word voters most associate with a potential second term under his command is "revenge."

Trump became the first candidate in US history deemed ineligible for the White House under a provision of the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution which prohibits officials who engage in "insurrection or rebellion" against the US government from holding elected office.

tg/rc (AP, Reuters)