Bruce Reinhart Unsealed: Justice of the Peace at the Center of Justice Department Trump Investigation

The third week of March 2018 was an important week for the Reinhart-Bell family. 

That Monday, then-Governor Rick Scott of Florida appointed federal prosecutor Carolyn Bell as a state circuit court judge.

A few days later, Bell's husband, Bruce Reinhart, was sworn in as a federal justice of the peace in South Florida, defeating her 63 other candidates.

Her week was a good one, but nothing compared to her week they just spent. 

Since Reinhardt approved an FBI warrant authorizing the search of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home, He and his family are targets of violent threats from right-wing internet trolls seeking to discredit and intimidate judges. 

His address and personal information have been published online. "I see a rope around his neck," wrote a poster on a pro-Trump site. Anti-Semitic threats continued.

"This is a really bad situation and totally unsuitable for someone trying to do their job. It is absolutely wrong to be attacked personally," said a family member of over 15 years. said Michelle Saskower, a friend of

Late last week,Reinhardt unsealed the search warrant,hearing arguments from media outlets and the Department of Justice on Thursday, and affidavits underlying the warrant. They argued over whether to release the book. The document explains why the government is seeking a search warrant and may currently be the most politically charged document in the country.

Reinhart said he was open to opening at least a portion of theaffidavit and called on the government to make the proposed edits.

In court, a lawyer for a media organization seeking to release an affidavit told Reinhardt, "I am sometimes meddlesome and get paid." 

"Sometimes I say 'no' and get paid," Reinhardt quipped. 

His friends and acquaintances say that such lighthearted and quick rebuttals are old-fashioned Reinhardt. People who have spoken with him since last week told CBS News they were unfazed by the political vortex swirling around him and the threat he now faces. 

South Florida defense attorney Bruce Jimmett, who has known Reinhardt professionally for nearly two decades, filed a lawsuit in front of Reinhardt last Thursday. 

"He acted like he always did," said Jimet. "If he had other things on his mind, the proceedings I had before him did not reflect that."

Another source told CBS News. Reinhart now has the security details provided by the U.S. Marshals and takes the threat seriously, but like the other lawsuits before him, Reinhart is reluctant to rule on Trump's issue. I am determined. 

The 60-year-old Reinhart grew up in Somerville, New Jersey, and attended Princeton as an undergraduate and law school at the University of Pennsylvania. After serving as a federal judge's clerk, he worked in the Department of Justice's public interest division, and for two years he was a senior policy adviser to the Treasury Department. From 1996 until 2008, Reinhart served as a federal prosecutor in South Florida.

Reinhardt's wife, Bell, is a juvenile court judge, whom she met while working for the Department of Justice. 

In 2008, Reinhardt White began a private practice specializing in his collar criminal defense. One of his clients was a Florida police officer who was convicted of using excessive force against asuspect and violating the suspect's civil rights. . 

For some time Reinhart shared his office on the West Palm beach his space with lawyer Jack Goldberger.

"Without hesitation, if I was in a situation where I needed someone else in a case I was involved in, I would automatically go to Bruce." automatically,” said Goldberger. Together, they worked on several medical fraud cases.

Goldberger, among others, included New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and disgraced investor the late Jeffrey Epstein. ,who has represented various high-profile clients, but Reinhardt was not on either defensive team. 

However, Reinhardt is under scrutiny for his relationship with Epstein. Shortly after leaving a senior position with the U.S. Attorney's Office in 2008, Reinhart defended Epstein employees, including schedulers and pilots. Reinhardt said he was not part of the Justice Department team investigating Epstein and denied having any information about the incident that may have sparked an ethical conflict,[79] the Miami Herald reported.

"Even assuming that I participated 'personally and materially' in the Epstein investigation [I did not], the relevant Department of Justice rule states that I In a 2018 email to the Herald, Reinhart said:

Mr. Reinhart and Mr. Goldberger regularly have lunch together, usually opting for greasy spoons and gyros over fine dining, and Mr. Goldberger prefers attending or playing sporting events. Plays golf with Reinhardt, but he admits that neither is very good.''

Reinhardt sits on the board of his local synagogue. – This is a fact that has attracted anti-Semitic comments online. One of his 4chan users wrote about Reinhardt: e. And a pedophile… he should be tried and executed for treason. The synagogue canceled the event last week following the threats, according to multiple reports.  

Federal election records show that he donated his $2,000 to support Barack Obama in 2008 and Jeb Bush's failed presidential election in 2015. he donated $500.  

In this story, his social posts on his media offer some clues about his views on law and politics.

In 2017, Reinhardt wrote to his mentor Norma, in his tribute to Shapiro, that he was the judge who served as clerk early in his legal career. increase. , "Every day, in ways big and small, she tried to help people. I try to honor her in the same way." Helmets, most of the posts are pretty bland and apolitical — from family updates (“Our minivan days are officially over”), to linked news stories and the occasional photo. He apparently stopped his public postings after being sworn into federal court.

In one post he wrote: He knows less about criminal justice than he does in Louisiana or Mississippi. The comment was added to his 2017 article on Louisiana's new criminal justice law.

There is one reference to Mr Trump. His case is now before him.

Shortly before he took office in 2017, Reinhardt responded to President-elect Trump's tweet about civil rights activist and Congressman John Lewis.  Trump said Lewis was "all talk, talk, talk - no action, no result. Sad." Ignore the tweets, John Lewis has arguably done more to "Make America Great" than any living citizen. 

he added: Feel like, "John Lewis is America's conscience. Donald Trump doesn't have the moral standing to kiss John Lewis' feet."

Reinhardt's biography on the court's webpage was temporarily disabled after Mahr's search for Lago became a hot topic, but has since been restored. 

"The threats against him are outrageous and everyone should be blamed," said John Sale. He defended a case against Reinhart when he was an assistant federal attorney, calling him "fair." He is politically independent.

As a magistrate, Reinhart has presided over cases ranging from disputes over his Google attorney fees to a Social Security fraud case against a woman once crowned Mrs. Florida. Karen Turk pleaded guilty to her one count, and Reinhart sentenced her to one month in prison.

Mar-a-Lago's search warrant is not his Reinhart's first brush against Trump as a magistrate. In a lawsuit filed in March of this year, the former president alleges that Hillary Clinton and her Democratic allies conspired to make false statements about Trump's ties to Russia during the 2016 election. 

Reinhardt said he was assigned to the case in April, but resigned by mid-June. It's not clear why.

Justices of the Peace, like other lawyers in the federal system, are not elected by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Instead, they are appointed by majority vote of the U.S. District Judges in each court. 

Federal magistrates issue warrants, such as those issued in Mar-a-Lago, for preliminary arraignments, first appearances, and pleadings regarding the defendant's pretrial detention. handle criminal cases. Unlike "Article 3" judges, who hear criminal and civil cases, magistrates usually preside over the full judicial process and are not tasked with issuing binding judgments. 

According to the official federal government, the court websitestates that ``A magistrate shall serve as a state or territory supreme court attorney for at least five years in good standing. They must meet specified eligibility criteria, including being “a merit selection committee of attorneys and community members who also review them. 

Reinhart did not choose to preside over the Mar-a-Lago case. Magistrates are assigned randomly. As in any other case, Reinhart would have had to examine evidence presented by prosecutors and investigators, including the affidavit in question, before approving a search warrant for Trump's property. .  

Former federal prosecutor David Weinstein, speaking to CBS News affiliate WFOR, said of Reinhart: That there was a cause that could have been held within it.

Those interviewed for this article described Reinhardt as a methodical lawyer and a straight arrow, generally avoiding discussion of politics and maintaining professionalism both in and out of court. described as a person. They cite his past service on the Palm Beach County Ethics Commission as an example of his integrity.

"He falls far short of the central role from what is expected of him as a magistrate," he said, Mr Zimet.

Federal officials have warned of increased threats to law enforcement and government officials since the FBI raided Trump's Mar-a-Lago last week. 

The threat is "predominantly online and occurs on multiple platforms, including social media sites, web forums, video sharing platforms, and image boards." and was identified days later by the Department of Homeland Security. search. 

Earlier this week, a western Pennsylvania man posted vulgar and violent messages online days after the FBI raided his Mar-a-Lago, prompting federal law enforcement officials to was charged with assaulting and threatening to kill

"Every s*** who works for the FBI in any capacity, from the director to the janitor who cleans the fucking toilet, deserves to die. You declared war on us, and now Open season to you," Adam Bees allegedly wrote on August 10.

Former Federal Judge Merrick Garland announced last week the Department of Justice's intention to open thesearch warrants for public inspection. “Unsubstantiated  FBI and DOJ men and women are dedicated and patriotic civil servants. 

Nicole Sganga contributed report from West Palm Beach, Florida.