Trump lawyer van der Veen says his house was attacked, he’s faced death threats

Michael van der Veen, one of former President Trump’s defense attorneys during the Senate impeachment trial, said on Saturday that his home has been attacked and that he’s recently faced death threats.

Following Trump’s impeachment trial, during which the Senate voted to acquit the former president, van der Veen detailed the damage done to his home during the proceedings. 

“My home was attacked. I’d rather not go into it because it would encourage other people to do it more, but you know, I’ve had nearly 100 death threats,” van der Veen said, according to a pool report.  

Van der Veen added that he wasn’t a “controversial guy” and that he was not a political person. 

“My home was attacked last night — windows broken, spray paint, really bad words spray painted everywhere. And the thing is, you guys don’t know me, but you know I’m not a controversial guy. I’m not politically minded so to speak,” he said.

“I’m a trial lawyer and I represent people’s interests in court. That’s what I do. I love doing it. And I’m disappointed that that is the result of just me doing my job.”

According to the Associated Press, the West Whiteland Township Police Department said graffiti was found at van der Veen’s home at around 8 p.m. on Friday.

Detective Scott Pezick said on Saturday that no arrests have been made yet in relation to the incident. 

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that vandals spray-painted “TRAITOR” on the driveway of his home, and a group of demonstrators gathered outside of his law office and called him a “fascist.”

“When van der Veen lies, what do you do? Convict. Convict,” the group said, according o the newspaper.

Jenna Ellis, who previously worked on the Trump campaign’s legal team, said on Twitter that it’s “unconscionable” that attorneys would be targeted for defending Trump.

“Van der Veen visibly upset in an interview with @GriffJenkins, revealing his home and family under attack because of his professional defense of Trump,” Ellis tweeted. “Trump lawyers, including myself, continue to experience threats, attacks, and hate just because of our work. Unconscionable.”

Van der Veen visibly upset in an interview with @GriffJenkins, revealing his home and family under attack because of his professional defense of Trump.

Trump lawyers, including myself, continue to experience threats, attacks, and hate just because of our work.

Unconscionable.

— Jenna Ellis (@JennaEllisEsq) February 13, 2021