Alarming Inaction: Death Threats Against Trump Voters In Pennsylvania Remain Uninvestigated

In the United States, threatening to kill someone because of their political views or the signage they display is both morally indefensible and a criminal act. In 2024, several Pennsylvania homeowners who displayed Trump yard signs received anonymous, chilling letters threatening violence. Nearly 15 months later, the perpetrators remain unidentified and no arrests have been reported.

“We know where you live. You are in the database. In the dead of a cold winter’s night, this year or next and beyond, there is no knowing what may happen. Your property, your family may be impacted, your cat may get shot. And more.”

Those words, delivered by anonymous mail, should have prompted immediate and thorough investigations. Yet the Pennsylvania State Police have acknowledged in writing that they never opened an investigation. That acknowledgement raises serious concerns about whether threats of politically motivated violence are being treated with the urgency they demand.

At a public event moderated by NBC’s Savannah Guthrie, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D) said, “all leaders must condemn all political violence, not cherry-pick which violence to condemn and which violence to accept.” That admonition is correct — and it begs the question: will state leaders ensure their law enforcement apparatus follows through?

The federal response has also drawn scrutiny. The FBI has pursued election-related cases in the past — for example, the bureau investigated and charged Douglass Mackey for a 2016 tweet; the Second Circuit later ruled that prosecution invalid. Given that precedent, many expect the FBI, and particularly its Philadelphia field office, to prioritize inquiries into alleged violations of federal civil-rights statutes when voters are threatened for their political speech.

The Public Interest Legal Foundation, with which the authors are affiliated, has filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of two Pennsylvania voters who received these letters. Because the senders are unknown, the court has permitted discovery to try to identify the individuals responsible. The Foundation has also offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the perpetrators.

Surprisingly, the Foundation’s efforts to obtain identifying information in court have been opposed by both Justice Department attorneys and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service — the latter of which received the physical letters in 2024. U.S. Attorney David Metcalf for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Gary R. Barksdale, who heads the Postal Inspection Service, have been identified in filings as opposing disclosure in the proceedings.

These developments have fostered frustration and a perception that investigatory and prosecutorial resources are not being marshaled in response to a serious threat against civil society. Threats of political violence are too often a precursor to actual violence; failing to investigate and prosecute those who issue such threats sends a dangerous message to voters and to the broader community.

Law enforcement at both the state and federal level must act transparently and decisively: open investigations, pursue leads, and cooperate with court-authorized discovery so perpetrators can be identified and prosecuted. No one should be allowed to threaten voters and their families with impunity because they displayed a yard sign.

J. Christian Adams is a commissioner on the United States Commission on Civil Rights. Hans von Spakovsky is a former commissioner on the Federal Election Commission.