Man Accused of Threatening Trump, Other Federal Officials
A central Illinois man is accused of threatening the life of former President Donald Trump, a U.S. attorney and a federal judge, federal prosecutors announced.
Damien Grant, 33, of Peoria was charged Thursday with influencing a federal official by threat, mailing threatening communications, and threatening the president of the United States. Grant allegedly made the threats from the Tazewell County Jail, where he has been held since July 2019, when he allegedly was in an altercation with two Illinois State Police troopers after a traffic stop.
The threats Grant allegedly made were against Trump, the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois, and a federal judge. Although the U.S. attorney wasn’t named, John Milhiser was the top federal prosecutor as the time. The federal judge also wasn’t named, but U.S. District Judge James Shadid recused himself from the case.
The threats against the three were made between the November presidential election and the Jan. 20 inauguration of President Joe Biden.
“And the moment you walk out of office, I’m going to have you shot! Right in your (expletive) head,” Grant allegedly wrote in a Dec. 22 letter to Trump.
In a letter to the U.S. attorney, Grant allegedly wrote the prosecutor had two days to drop investigations and charges against him, or he will make sure Milhiser will never see Christmas.
“I might have someone walk in the Court House and blow all you evil (expletive) to pieces,” Grant said in a Nov. 30 letter addressed to the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois.
Milhiser declined through a spokeswoman to comment. Shadid on Thursday could not be reached for comment.
Although the charges were filed in Peoria, the U.S. attorney’s office there has recused itself and Grant will be prosecuted by the U.S. attorney in Chicago. The arraignment of Grant hasn’t been scheduled, and it wasn’t immediately known if he has legal representation.
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