WASHINGTON (JTA) — A Jewish reporter filed a complaint with Washington, D.C. police over threats she received after publishing a critical profile of Donald Trump’s wife, Melania.
Julia Ioffe filed the complaint under a statute that describes a threat “to kidnap any person or to injure the person of another or physically damage the property of any person or of another person, in whole or in part” as a criminal offense, subject to a fine and imprisonment.
The Washington Post, in reporting Ioffe’s complaint on Monday, quoted it as saying “an unknown person sent her a caricature of a person being shot in the back of the head by another, among other harassing calls and disturbing emails depicting violent scenarios.” The reference apparently is to a cartoon Ioffe received via email and which she posted on Twitter.
The Post also said the Anti-Defamation League was assisting Ioffe in the matter, although it was not clear what the assistance comprised.
Ioffe was deluged with anti-Semitic abuse through phone calls, emails and on social media after her profile of Melania Trump appeared in GQ on April 28. Melania Trump in a Facebook post said the article was inaccurate and violated her privacy by revealing that her father had a son born out of wedlock to another woman before her parents married.
Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, pressed by CNN to urge his followers to abjure such attacks, refused.
“I don’t have a message for my fans,” he said recently, and “I’d like to see my family treated fairly and nicely.”
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
