A federal judge has ordered a Virginia man to remain behind bars pending trial for allegedly threatening to kill Richard Grenell, a key figure in the Trump administration and current President of the Kennedy Center.
The detention of 33-year-old Scott Allen Bolger is a significant legal victory for the Justice Department, occurring against a backdrop of escalating political violence that has already claimed the lives of high-profile figures this year. The ruling also serves as a critical win for Lindsey Halligan, the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, whose own authority has been the subject of intense legal battles.
At a Glance: The Grenell Threat Case
- The Suspect: Scott Allen Bolger, 33, of McLean, Virginia.
- The Charges: Transmitting threats in interstate commerce and making false statements to federal officers.
- The Threat: Bolger allegedly used Google Voice to send messages threatening to “shoot [Grenell] in the face” and “put a bullet between your eyes.”
- The Victim: Richard Grenell, currently serving as the President of the Kennedy Center and Special Presidential Envoy, and a longtime Trump loyalist.
- The Context: The threat comes just months after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in September and the murders of two Minnesota Democratic lawmakers in June.
- The Prosecutor: The case is being handled by the office of Lindsey Halligan, a Trump appointee whose role as U.S. Attorney has been challenged in court as “unlawful.”
‘Wanting to Shoot Someone in the Face’
According to court documents, Bolger used a burner number via Google Voice to send anonymous, violent threats to Grenell. When a federal task force tracked the digital footprint to his home in McLean, Bolger allegedly attempted to deceive agents by identifying himself as “Brian Black.”
U.S. Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick—who recently made headlines for criticizing the DOJ’s handling of other sensitive cases—ruled that Bolger posed a sufficient danger to the community to warrant pretrial detention. If convicted, Bolger faces up to five years in prison.
In a victim impact statement read aloud in court, Grenell drew a direct line between these threats and the recent wave of political assassinations.
“Today we are dealing with someone who went far beyond sharing his angry opinion… This individual crossed the line from sharing his viewpoint to wanting to shoot someone in the face because he disagrees with them politically.” — Richard Grenell
A Year of Violence
Grenell’s statement referenced the tragic death of Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old conservative activist who was assassinated by a sniper at a Utah university event in September 2025.
“As we have sadly learned from my friend Charlie Kirk’s death, we must take talk of violence and calls for death seriously.”
The reference underscores the tense atmosphere in Washington. In addition to Kirk’s death, the political world was shaken in June by the targeted murders of Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband in their home, a crime that authorities linked to political extremism.
A Win for Lindsey Halligan
The arraignment was personally attended by Lindsey Halligan, the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Halligan’s presence was notable. A former personal attorney for President Trump, she was appointed to the powerful prosecutor role earlier this year. However, her appointment has been mired in controversy; in November, a federal judge ruled her appointment was unlawful, sparking an ongoing appeal by the Justice Department.
By securing a detention order in a high-profile case involving a top administration official, Halligan’s office has scored a victory that reinforces her authority even as legal questions about her tenure swirl in the background.
Conclusion
The detention of Scott Allen Bolger sends a stark message: in the current climate, federal courts are increasingly willing to hold defendants without bail for political threats. For Grenell, who has become a central player in the Trump administration’s cultural and diplomatic efforts, the case is a grim reminder of the risks that now accompany public service.