(LibertySons.org) – Republicans have complained about the weaponization of the Justice Department (DOJ) and other agencies in the administration even before the prosecutions of former President Donald Trump began. Now, one GOP representative wants answers as to why the DOJ declined to press charges against a man who threatened him and his family.
Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) spoke out in response to an op-ed penned by Attorney General Merrick Galrland in the Washington Post on June 11, suggesting that the political use of what he called conspiracy theories, misinformation, and threats of violence against DOJ personnel weren’t normal and needed to stop for the good of the nation.
Banks referred to a letter he wrote to Garland in December 2023 after the US Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana declined to prosecute Aaron Thompson when the Capitol Police referred the matter to the prosecutor.
Thompson made a series of threatening calls to Banks’ congressional offices in April 2023. He threatened to shoot Banks, his wife, and his three children. In one message, he offered Banks a bargain: Banks could commit suicide, or Thompson would kill his three children.
Capitol Police coordinated with local law enforcement agencies, who arrested Thompson in June. Allen County Prosecutor Mike McAlexander filed charges against him, and he pleaded guilty in October 2023, citing intoxication and political disagreements as underlying factors in his actions. The court placed Thompson on probation and prohibited him from contacting Banks or the Congressional office.
But in his letter, Banks demanded to know why the DOJ refused to prosecute when it had clear evidence that Thompson had made threats against his family. He wrote, “I have no doubt that you, as a husband and father yourself, would do anything to protect your family, but I want to know why you have refused to protect mine.”
A DOJ spokesperson told reporters, “The Department investigates threats to public officials regardless of their party affiliation.” The spokesperson pointed to prosecutions associated with threats against GOP members, including Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), and Clay Higgins (R-LA) are examples.
Still, Banks said he had not received any reply to his letter requesting an explanation.
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