According to South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) Chief Mark Keel, there is no evidence so far that the blaze was intentionally set, though the investigation remains “active and ongoing.” The fire broke out around 11:30 a.m. ET on Saturday at the judge’s home on Edisto Beach.

Goodstein was not at home during the fire, but three family members, including her husband, former Democratic state senator Arnold Goodstein, and their son, were seriously injured and taken to hospital. Fire officials said the victims had to be rescued by kayak.

Initial reports suggested an explosion may have caused the blaze, but Keel said investigators found no evidence of a pre-fire explosion.

The 69-year-old judge has been under threat since she temporarily blocked South Carolina’s election commission from releasing voter data to the U.S. Department of Justice last month. The order, later overturned by the state Supreme Court, had halted the release of personal voter information — including names, addresses, and Social Security numbers — sought under President Donald Trump’s March executive order on voter eligibility.

The decision drew sharp criticism from Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who accused Goodstein of obstructing federal election integrity efforts.

The fire has sparked fierce political debate amid rising incidents of threats and violence against judges. Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Daniel Goldman (D-NY), suggested the incident may be linked to escalating attacks on the judiciary by pro-Trump figures. Goldman wrote on X, “Trump and MAGA-world have been doxxing and threatening judges who rule against him… Will Trump speak out against the extreme right that did this?”

Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff, dismissed Goldman’s comments as “vile,” while Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) warned that the Administration’s rhetoric “makes violence feel permissible.”

The timing of the fire has drawn additional scrutiny, coming just hours after Miller accused another federal judge, Karin Immergut, of “legal insurrection” for blocking Trump’s deployment of the Oregon National Guard. California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned Miller’s statement as “authoritarian propaganda.”

The incident highlights growing concerns over political violence and intimidation of judges. In recent months, several public officials have been attacked or killed, including Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s residence being targeted, and conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

Judges across the U.S. have reported a surge in threats, harassment, and “pizza doxxing” tactics—where their personal addresses are exposed through fake food deliveries. Chief Judge Jack McConnell of Rhode Island told NPR that his court had received more than 400 threatening voicemails.

Legal experts and former judges have warned that such hostility—fueled by the Trump Administration’s combative stance toward the judiciary—poses a serious threat to the rule of law.

“Threats against judges are threats against constitutional government,” said Judge Richard Sullivan, a Trump appointee, earlier this year. Esther Salas, a New Jersey judge whose son was murdered in 2020 by a disgruntled attorney, urged leaders to “stop fanning these flames” and end the rhetoric that paints judges as “corrupt and biased.”

As the Goodstein investigation continues, officials have urged the public to avoid speculation until more facts are known.