Durbin Demands DOJ Probe Anonymous Pizza Deliveries Targeting Judges

Senator Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, is sounding the alarm over a bizarre and unsettling trend: anonymous pizza deliveries arriving at the doorsteps of federal judges and their families. In a sharply worded letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel, Durbin demanded an immediate investigation into these incidents, which he labels as thinly veiled threats designed to intimidate the judiciary.

A Disturbing Pattern
These deliveries aren’t just random acts of culinary generosity. They’re calculated, often bearing the names of judges’ relatives or, in a chilling twist, the name of Daniel Anderl, the son of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas, who was murdered in 2020 by a disgruntled litigant posing as a deliveryman. Salas herself has reported receiving at least 10 such deliveries, some explicitly tied to her late son’s name. Other judges, including Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett and J. Michelle Childs of the D.C. Circuit, have also been targeted, with Barrett’s family facing additional bomb threats.

A Threat to Justice
Durbin argues these acts go beyond personal harassment—they strike at the heart of judicial independence. "These incidents threaten not only judges and their families, but also the rule of law," he wrote. He’s pressing Bondi and Patel for details on any ongoing investigations and urging them to bolster protections through the U.S. Marshals Service, which he warns is at risk of staff cuts at a time when threats against judges are spiking.

Questions and Deadlines
Durbin’s letter sets a May 20 deadline for answers, including how many deliveries have occurred since January 20, whether each prompted an investigation, and if there’s evidence of coordination. He’s also calling for assurances that the Marshals Service won’t face workforce reductions, citing a recent offer of resignations to over 5,000 employees as "inappropriate and unacceptable" amid rising dangers.

The incidents evoke a grim history. Salas’ son was killed by a gunman posing as a delivery driver, a tragedy that underscores the real stakes behind these seemingly innocuous pizzas. As Durbin put it on X: "Federal judges are receiving anonymous deliveries as an intimidation tactic. It’s an ongoing threat… and it’s increasing."