Oklahoma Man Indicted on 9 Felony Counts for Threats Against John Thune and Family
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Jun 4
Oklahoma Man Indicted on 9 Felony Counts for Threats Against John Thune and Family
1 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Jun 4
Summary
David Shuck, 63, appeared in federal court in Tulsa on Thursday after a grand jury indicted him on nine felony counts tied to phone death threats against Senate Majority Leader John Thune and members of his family.
Three March calls form the basis of the case, and prosecutors said the threats were made in retaliation for Thune’s official duties, though the indictment does not specify a more detailed motive.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Steele released Shuck on a $10,000 bond after prosecutors did not seek pretrial detention; Thune’s office did not immediately comment, and Shuck’s court-appointed lawyer declined comment.
The Justice Department cast the case as part of enforcement under Trump’s September NSPM-7 order on domestic terrorism and political violence, a policy critics say could be used to target lawful dissent.
Court records show Shuck previously pleaded guilty in the same federal court in 2012 to operating a large-scale marijuana grow facility and served an 18-month prison sentence.