Alaska Man Charged with Threatening to Assassinate Six Supreme Court Justices

An Alaska man was taken into custody on Wednesday after allegedly making threats to murder six members of the Supreme Court, as well as threatening two family members of his targets. The United States Justice Department announced the charges against Panos Anastasiou, 76, who reportedly sent over 465 threatening messages to the Supreme Court via an online portal.

According to court documents, Anastasiou’s communications contained violent, racist, and homophobic language. He is said to have made threats including assassination, kidnapping, torture, hanging, beheading, and execution of the justices while also inciting others to engage in violent acts.

The charges against Anastasiou include nine counts of threats against federal judges along with 13 counts of making threats through interstate commerce. He made his initial appearance before a federal magistrate and entered a plea of not guilty.

Attorney General Merrick Garland commented on the situation, stating, “We allege that the defendant made repeated, heinous threats to murder and torture Supreme Court Justices and their families to retaliate against them for decisions he disagreed with,” emphasizing the importance of a justice system free from intimidation. “Our justice system depends on the ability of judges to make their decisions based on the law, and not on fear,” he added.

The Supreme Court has not provided any comment regarding the case, and there were no attorneys listed for Anastasiou in court documents.

The indictment does not name the specific justices targeted, referencing them instead as “Supreme Court justices 1-6.” The charging documents indicate that Anastasiou’s threats were meant to intimidate the justices and were retribution for their judicial actions.

Investigations reveal that the threatening messages were sent between January and July, coinciding with the Supreme Court’s term. One particular message dated January 4 allegedly stated Anastasiou would “provide the rope” for hanging a justice from an oak tree. Another message from May 10 was said to include a threat of lynching directed at the same justice.

In a May 16 communication aimed at a different Supreme Court member, he reportedly threatened to shoot the justice in the head. The Justice Department highlighted that following this message, a subsequent one threatened the lives of two unnamed family members, indicating a willingness to send “fellow veterans” to fire at their homes in hopes of causing harm.

The Supreme Court currently has a conservative majority, which has faced sharp criticism over recent rulings on contentious topics, including gun rights, abortion, and presidential authority. The court’s conservative justices recently came under fire for their decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, igniting protests outside the homes of several justices, including Samuel Alito, Amy Coney Barrett, and Brett Kavanaugh.

In fact, in June 2022, a man was arrested outside Justice Kavanaugh’s home with weapons and tools, having allegedly threatened to assassinate the justice. He too pleaded not guilty.