US coast guard official accused of plotting terror attack targeting influential Democrats released on bail

Judge says there are no grounds to hold coast guard lieutenant accused of plotting major terror attack

US Coast Guard Lieutenant Christopher Hasson will be released on bail after being accused by federal prosecutors of planning a terror attack that targeted influential Democrats.

A federal judge ordered his release after saying he has not been charged with terrorism or murder and that there were no current plans to charge the lieutenant on either basis.

He had been seeking a release from federal custody in Maryland while citing a lack of charges over terrorism-related offences. Because the judge had no current intention to file those charges, they said there were no grounds to hold him any longer.

During a February detention hearing, US Magistrate Judge Charles Day agreed to keep Mr Hasson held in custody but said he was willing to revisit his decision if prosecutors didn’t bring more serious charges within two weeks.

Liz Oyer, an assistant federal public defender, asked the judge to schedule another detention hearing for Mr Hasson “at the earliest agreeable date for all parties.”

She said her client’s alleged domestic terrorism activities were “the heart of the government’s case for detention.” A prosecutor wrote in the February court filing that the drug and firearms charges were the “proverbial tip of the iceberg.”

“No other crimes have been charged,” Ms Oyer wrote. “Moreover, during a recent status call, government counsel advised the Court and defense counsel that it does not expect to file a superseding indictment in this matter.”

Mr Hasson pleaded not guilty last month to charges of illegal possession of firearm silencers, possession of firearms by a drug addict and unlawful user, and possession of a controlled substance. He faces a maximum of 31 years in prison if convicted of all four counts in his indictment.

Investigators found 15 guns, including seven rifles, and over 1,000 rounds of ammunition at Mr Hasson’s basement apartment in Silver Spring, Maryland, prosecutors said. Mr Hasson’s 27 February indictment also accuses him of illegal possession of tramadol, an opioid painkiller.

Prosecutors claim Mr Hasson drew up what appeared to be a computer-spreadsheet hit list that included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and presidential hopefuls Kirsten Gillibrand, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker and Kamala Harris. Several network TV journalists — MSNBC’s Chris Hayes and Joe Scarborough and CNN’s Chris Cuomo and Van Jones — also were mentioned.

Additional reporting by AP