Authorities Investigating After Home Of South Carolina Judge Who Ruled Against Trump's DOJ Is Destroyed In Explosion

Authorities have launched an investigation after the home of South Carolina Circuit Court Judge Diane Goodstein was destroyed by a fire caused by an explosion after she blocked the Department of Justice's request for a full voter registration list for the state.

Firefighters responded to a fire at Edisto Beach in Colleton County on Saturday afternoon at the home of Goodstein and her husband, former state Senator Arnold Goodstein. The cause of the fire is currently not known but authorities are investigating it as an arson attack. Three people were hospitalized after the fire.

In a statement shared on social media alongside a photo of the beachside home engulfed in flames, the St. Paul’s Fire District said crews responded to reports of “a structure with entrapment on Edisto Island.” Firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze and assist occupants who had “escaped via jumping from an elevated first floor.”

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division sent officials to the scene; video footage shows high plumes of smoke as the property blazes.

You can see the footage of the raging fire below.

The South Carolina Supreme Court released the following statement to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division:

“Chief Justice John W. Kittredge is aware of an incident involving Circuit Court Judge Diane Goodstein. At this time, SLED is on the scene and will begin investigating as soon as the fire has been contained."

"Local law enforcement partners have been alerted and asked to provide extra patrols and security. The Judicial Branch will remain in close communication with SLED.”

The explosion has raised suspicions given what transpired a ruling Goodstein handed down last month blocking a significant request from the DOJ.

Last month, Judge Goodstein presided over a case on whether South Carolina should hand over sensitive voter registration data to the federal government, ultimately ruling against the Trump administration.

The DOJ had sought access to personal information for more than 3.3 million voters, including names, addresses, birthdates, driver’s license numbers, and the last four digits of Social Security numbers. The administration claimed it wanted to cross-check the data against a federal database to identify alleged noncitizens unlawfully casting ballots in state elections.

Following her September 2 ruling, Goodstein reportedly received multiple death threats. Her decision drew sharp criticism from both President Donald Trump and South Carolina Republican Governor Henry McMaster, who called the circuit court “wrong” to obstruct the federal request and filed an emergency petition to overturn the ruling.

The following week, the South Carolina Supreme Court sided with McMaster, lifting Goodstein’s temporary restraining order in a six-page opinion that said she had not demonstrated how the plaintiff—local voting rights activist Anne Crook—would be harmed by the data’s release.

Many have condemned the attack as another example of the heightened political violence from the far-right as the Trump administration openly criticizes liberal judges and brands them "terrorists," as adviser Stephen Miller did recently.

Trump has not condemned the attack.