California man indicted for threatening to kill Fulton DA Willis 'like a dog'
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis looks on during a hearing in the case of the State of Georgia v. Donald John Trump at the Fulton County Courthouse on March 1, 2024, in Atlanta. (Photo by Alex Slitz-Pool/Getty Images)
ATLANTA - Marc Shultz is facing serious legal trouble after allegedly making threats against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
The 66-year-old man from Chula Vista, California, allegedly posted threatening comments on YouTube on Oct. 4, 2023, and Oct. 5, 2023. His comments threatened District Attorney Willis with violence and murder including a statement that she "will be killed like a dog."
Shultz has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Atlanta. Shultz made his initial appearance in federal court in San Diego, California on May 2 and will be formally arraigned in Atlanta in June.
U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan emphasized that threatening public officials is a severe offense that won't be tolerated. Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Atlanta, echoed this sentiment, stressing the importance of safeguarding government officials from intimidation.
Willis released the following statement Friday afternoon:
"On the same day Senator Bill Cowsert had the audacity to question whether an elected African American female District Attorney deserves protection from death threats, the United States Attorney and the FBI announced another indictment of someone who threatened my life.
I thank US Attorney Ryan Buchanan, his staff and the FBI for believing the life of an African American elected official has value and for their diligent efforts in ensuring the safety of myself, my staff, and our families."
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bret R. Hobson and Brent Alan Gray handling the prosecution.
Willis meets with voters
Willis stopped at a soul food restaurant in northwest Atlanta on Friday morning to meet with voters.
Special senate committee meets for 3rd time
Willis was also the focus of the third meeting of the Senate Special Committee on Investigations on Friday. The committee was formed in January to look into the allegations that Willis had an improper relationship with former special prosecutor Nathan Wade and benefited from prosecution of the former President Donald Trump and the Georgia election interference case.
Trump was indicted along with 18 of his supporters in August 2023 for allegedly interfering in the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. Since then, several of Trump's codefendants have accepted plea deals and 6 of the original charges have been dropped.
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Decision expected soon
The Georgia Court of Appeals is currently considering if it will hear an appeal from Trump and the remaining co-defendants over Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee's decision to allow Willis to remain on the case despite the romantic relationship with Wade. They have until May 13 to make a decision.
Willis was initially asking for an August 2024 trial date for Trump and the others, but it is not clear when the trial will happen at this time.