Behind the mind-boggling ruling that may allow a suspected domestic terrorist to go free

[Stuart G]

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/26/politics/christopher-hasson-domestic-terror-plot-josh-campbell-cnn/index.html

Friday April 26, 2019, 6:19pm ET
Chris Cillizza

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(CNN) — On Thursday, a federal judge in Maryland ruled that a Coast Guard lieutenant accused of plotting a domestic terror attack should be released from detention.

The suspected white supremacist allegedly gathered numerous guns and tactical gear -- and reportedly planned to target Democratic politicians, Supreme Court justices and journalists. Despite the ruling, the judge said he had "grave concerns" about the suspect's actions.

To get a better sense of what happens next and how the US legal system handles domestic terror threats, I reached out to CNN law enforcement analyst and former FBI special agent Josh Campbell.

Our conversation, conducted via email and lightly edited for flow, is below

Chris Cillizza: Let's start here: Who is Christopher Hasson and what, specifically, is he charged with?

Josh Campbell: The defendant is a lieutenant in the United States Coast Guard who was arrested on gun and drug charges. Authorities believe he was planning to conduct a mass killing after discovering a "hit list" that contained the names of several prominent Democratic politicians and members of the news media, including CNN.

This guy is a real piece of work. He went so far as to stockpile steroids and human growth hormones in order to increase his ability to conduct an attack. Although his writings signal obvious mental health issues -- he claimed "I am dreaming of a way to kill almost every last person on earth" -- that makes him no less dangerous. Law enforcement believes he may have been inspired by a white supremacist in Norway who killed 77 people in 2011.

[sinkingfeeling]

1. And how many stupid people are in prison for plotting a

terrorist attack or attempting to buy weapons with undercover agents? But they're in jail, convicted of felonies, because they weren't white domestics.

https://www.heritage.org/terrorism/commentary/the-fbi-foiled-2-terror-plots-2-weeks-heres-what-happened