Ex-Libertarian Governor Candidate Sentenced For Threatening Judges

ANTIOCH, IL — A former Libertarian gubernatorial candidate has been sentenced to prison time for threatening the lives of two judges.

Grayson Kash Jackson, 44, pleaded guilty to two counts of threatening a public official, a Class 3 felony, last week in DuPage County. On Thursday, a DuPage County judge ordered a four-year prison sentence for Jackson.

The charges stem from an Oct. 7, 2021, phone call Jackson made to the Lake County Sheriff's Office where he expressed anger over a ruling in his pending divorce case and custody battle, according to a news release from the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office.

During the phone call, he said that if a DuPage County judge was not arrested, Jackson would "make sure he is (expletive) dead, six feet under," and that he'd bury him next to another DuPage County judge. Prosecutors did not provide the names of the judges who were threatened.

Jackson, formerly of Antioch, was arrested at his home in Arkansas two days later and extradited back to Lake County.

In the weeks prior to the phone call, Jackson, who was formerly known as Benjamin Winderweedle, was held in contempt of court for failing to pay $11,104.87 in child support. A Lake County judge issued a civil contempt order for him to be taken into custody.

At the time of his arrest, Jackson had a monthly income of nearly $5,245 from retirement and disability benefits and had been ordered to pay about $1,168 per month in child support, according to court records. He also failed to provide health insurance and life insurance as ordered by the court.

In November 2018, Jackson came in last place among four candidates for Illinois governor with 2.4 percent of the vote. When asked about the contempt ruling during the campaign, Jackson told Patch his constitutional rights had been bypassed in family court.

In a statement made following Jacksons' sentence, DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said threats to public officials will not be tolerated.

“For our judicial system to operate properly, it is imperative that members of the judiciary or any other officer of the court, for that matter, be allowed to perform their duties free from harassment or fear of retribution,” Berlin said. “This type of behavior must not be allowed to stand, and anyone who threatens a public official must be held accountable."

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