A disturbing pattern of intimidation targeting federal judges across the United States has emerged, involving anonymous pizza deliveries to their homes and those of their family members. In approximately two dozen documented cases nationwide, federal judges have received unsolicited pizza orders with the recipient’s name listed as “Daniel Anderl,” the late son of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas, who was murdered in 2020 by a gunman targeting his mother.
This coordinated campaign, dubbed “pizza doxxing” by federal prosecutors, has been described by Judge Salas as “psychological warfare” against the judiciary, prompting urgent calls for federal investigation and raising grave concerns about judicial security, particularly among judges presiding over cases involving the Trump administration.
The pizza doxxing campaign began in late February 2025, with the U.S. Marshals Service noting in a March memo from its Southern District of New York office that the incidents appeared linked to high-profile court cases. The campaign employs multiple pizza vendors and third-party delivery apps, spanning at least seven states, showcasing tactical sophistication that complicates efforts to trace the orders. The perpetrators have targeted judges at various levels, including Supreme Court justices, and even extended their reach to the children of some judges.
U.S. Circuit Judge J. Michelle Childs has emerged as a frequent target, receiving seven unsolicited pizza deliveries over several months. Notably, one delivery arrived shortly after she issued a ruling against the Trump administration, suggesting a direct link between judicial decisions and these intimidation attempts.
“It’s really an unnecessary and an unfortunate threat to our security when we’re trying to be judicial officers in a very neutral position,”
Childs told reporters, highlighting how she now relies on a Ring camera system to screen deliveries, avoiding direct contact with delivery personnel.
The use of Daniel Anderl’s name—a chilling reference to the 2020 murder of Judge Salas’s son—adds a menacing layer to the campaign, implying a threat of violence rooted in judicial history. Former FBI agent Mike Clark, head of the Society of Retired FBI Agents, warned that these deliveries “appear to be designed to send a threatening and menacing message to judges,” potentially serving as a tactic to confirm addresses for future attacks.
“They’re making a mockery of the justice system and playing a dangerous game,”
He added.
For Judge Childs and others, the campaign has forced significant changes in daily life.
“We are now not opening the door,”
She explained, underscoring the persistent fear and vigilance now required. Judge Salas emphasized the broader stakes:
“You need a strong judiciary for the system to work, and these deliveries represent an infringement on democracy generally.”
The intimidation threatens judicial independence, potentially pressuring judges to alter rulings to avoid further targeting.
The U.S. Marshals Service, tasked with judicial security, confirmed it is “looking into all the unsolicited pizza deliveries to federal judges and taking appropriate steps to address the matter.” Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Dick Durbin escalated the issue on May 6, 2025, sending a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel, urging an investigation into what he called
“threats intended to show that those seeking to intimidate the targeted judge know the judge’s address or their family members’ address.”
Durbin’s letter highlighted the inclusion of Supreme Court justices and judges’ children among the targets, demanding a response by May 20.
In Washington, D.C., outgoing U.S. Attorney Ed Martin identified “pizza doxxed” as a priority for the federal prosecutor’s office, signaling that the incidents are being treated as serious crimes, possibly involving charges like threatening federal officials or obstructing justice. As of now, the perpetrators remain unidentified, and the investigation is ongoing.
The campaign’s use of Daniel Anderl’s name exploits a tragic chapter in judicial history. In July 2020, attorney Roy Den Hollander, posing as a delivery person, murdered Anderl at his family’s New Jersey home, targeting Judge Salas. Den Hollander later died by suicide, leaving behind a list of female judges’ information.
“My murdered son’s name is now being attached, weaponized, used as a weapon against these judicial officers,”
Salas said, describing the clear message:
“I know where you live. I know where your kids live. Do you want to end up like Judge Salas? Do you want to end up like her son?”
With a meeting scheduled with the U.S. Marshals Service to address these threats, Salas called the deliveries “unprecedented attacks on judicial officers.”
The pizza doxxing campaign unfolds amid efforts to bolster judicial protections following Anderl’s murder. In 2022, Congress passed the Daniel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Act, which restricts the public disclosure and sale of judges’ personal information and provides tools to safeguard their privacy. Supported by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, the law aims to prevent the vulnerabilities exploited in the 2020 attack. Yet, these recent incidents reveal that such measures may not fully counter evolving threats.
The coordinated nature of this campaign—targeting judges linked to Trump administration cases—suggests a politically motivated effort to intimidate. By demonstrating knowledge of private addresses and invoking a past act of violence, the perpetrators have sown fear that undermines the judiciary’s ability to operate without retaliation. As investigations continue, the resolution of this campaign remains critical to preserving an independent judiciary, a cornerstone of American democracy.
