A Texas woman from Houston, Tiffani Shea Gish, has been sentenced to three years in prison for making death threats against the judge overseeing former President Donald Trump’s classified documents case. The Justice Department announced Gish’s sentencing to 37 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani stated, “Holding Tiffani Gish accountable for her threats to assassinate a federal judge sends a strong message that we have no tolerance for those seeking to undermine our democratic institutions by threatening the safety of the people who help those same institutions thrive.”
Gish, who pleaded guilty in November to one count of using interstate communications with a threat to kidnap or injure, reached a plea agreement with prosecutors.
Texas Woman Receives 3-Year Prison Term for Threatening Judge in Trump’s Document Case (Credits: Law and Crime)
Her guilty plea followed her arrest in Houston over a year prior for leaving threatening voicemails for U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who was appointed by Trump and is overseeing the case against him for mishandling classified material after leaving office.
In court documents, Gish admitted to leaving messages for Cannon, warning the judge that she was “marked for assassination” and threatening to shoot her in front of her family.
Gish’s sentencing comes amidst a backdrop where other judges presiding over cases related to Trump have faced similar threats.
Last year, another Texas woman was charged for threats against U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing Trump’s federal election interference case. The trial in that case was recently postponed as Trump appeals rulings that determined he is not immune from prosecution.
The classified documents case overseen by Cannon is scheduled for trial in May. Trump, along with co-defendants Walt Nauta, a top aide, and Carlos De Oliveira, a maintenance supervisor at Mar-a-Lago, deny any wrongdoing and have pleaded not guilty to all charges.
In recent filings, special counsel Jack Smith’s team requested Cannon to reconsider an order to turn over unredacted documents that could jeopardize the safety and testimony of more than two dozen witnesses. Prosecutors also highlighted a federal investigation into social media threats received by a potential witness in the case.
