Special Counsel Jack Smith was reportedly the target of an attempted “swatting” attack at his Maryland home on Christmas Day.
An unknown person called local police in Montgomery, Maryland, and claimed that Smith had shot his wife inside their home, according to law enforcement sources cited by NBC News. Officers were dispatched immediately, but the confusion was sorted out when they encountered the U.S. Marshals protecting Smith’s home.
“Swatting” is the practice of making a false report by calling police to someone’s address, typically by claiming some violent crime has or is being committed. The practice has resulted in multiple deaths in recent years.
No arrests have been made in relation to the swatting attempt against Smith. Police and the special counsel’s office declined to comment to NBC, and the U.S. Marshals Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Smith is handling two indictments against former President Trump, one for his alleged mishandling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence and another for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
JACK SMITH DISPUTES TRUMP’S PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY CLAIM IN APPEALS COURT
Trump will appear in court in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday for debate over whether he is immune from election-related charges altogether. Trump’s lawyers argue that presidents enjoy “absolute immunity” for actions they take while in the White House.
“Four-year service as Commander in Chief did not bestow on [Trump] the divine right of kings to evade the criminal accountability that governs his fellow citizens,” U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan said in a December ruling against Trump, adding that former presidents do not enjoy a “”lifelong ‘get-out-of-jail-free’ pass.”
SUPREME COURT DECLINES TO ISSUE EXPEDITED RULING ON TRUMP IMMUNITY CASE
Trump’s team appealed Chutkan’s decision to a three-judge appeals D.C. Circuit Court panel, which will hear arguments later Tuesday.
Trump is charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding and conspiracy against rights.
The U.S. Supreme Court recently rejected Smith’s appeal to expedite their assessment of the immunity claim before it went fully through a federal appeals court.
Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report
