Death threats received After verdict against Trump - US judge's villa goes up in flames
Shortly after an explosive ruling against President Donald Trump's administration, the beach house of US federal judge Diane Goodstein in South Carolina was completely burnt down. The authorities are investigating arson.
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- The house of federal judge Diane Goodstein burned down completely after an explosion.
- Shortly beforehand, she had issued a ruling that blocked the Trump government's access to voter data.
- The authorities are investigating a connection between the ruling and the arson attack.
Just a few weeks after a ruling against the government of US President Donald Trump, the beach house of federal judge Diane Goodstein has gone up in flames. The fire completely destroyed the million-dollar mansion in Edisto Beach in the US state of South Carolina on Monday. According to the police, arson is suspected.
Footage shows the judge's property burning brightly after an explosion. Three family members, including Goodstein's husband Arnold Goodstein, were injured when they tried to escape from the house. They suffered broken bones after jumping from windows or balconies. Diane Goodstein herself was unharmed - she was at the beach with her dogs at the time of the fire.
Verdict against Trump administration as a possible trigger
The fire occurred just a few weeks after a ruling that made waves in Washington: Goodstein had ruled in September that the state of South Carolina was not allowed to pass on sensitive voter data to the federal government.
The Trump Justice Department had demanded the release of personal information of more than 3.3 million registered voters - including names, addresses, dates of birth, driver's license numbers and parts of social security numbers. Goodstein based her ruling on the fact that the disclosure violated data protection laws and increased the risk of political data being misused.
According to the US media, the judge received several death threats following the decision. The Department of Justice and the Supreme Court of South Carolina reacted to the fire with horror. The latter ordered increased security measures for judges in the region.
The police confirmed that investigators from the federal agency ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) and the FBI are investigating the scene of the fire. Initial analyses point to accelerants. However, it is still unclear whether there is a direct link to the verdict.
Trump administration tightens course against female judges
District judge Hannah Dugan was arrested in the USA back in April for allegedly helping a migrant to flee from the ICE immigration authorities. Republican FBI Director Kash Patel stated at the time that Dugan had "increased the danger to the public". Trump himself defended the arrest and spoke of a "necessary signal against activist judges". Critics then accused him of undermining the rule of law.
Dugan's arrest and the alleged attack on Goodstein illustrate the extent to which the American justice system is under pressure. According to the US Marshals Service, assaults, threats and political interference against judges have increased significantly since the start of Trump's second term.