The Justice Department charged a former main opponent of Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., with threatening to ship a “Russian-Ukrainian hit squad” to kill his political rival.
William Robert Braddock III, 41, of St. Petersburg, Florida, was charged with threatening to kill his main opponent within the 2021 election for the thirteenth Congressional District of Florida, and a personal citizen and acquaintance of his opponent, the Justice Department introduced Friday. The indictment, unsealed within the Middle District of Florida on Thursday, describes the focused people as solely “Victim 1” and “Victim 2.”
On June 8, 2021, prosecutors say Braddock allegedly made a number of threats to injure and kill his main opponent throughout a cellphone name with the second sufferer, particularly stating that he would “call up my Russian-Ukrainian hit squad” to make the rival candidate disappear. The DOJ mentioned Braddock left the United States after making the alleged threats and was later discovered to be residing within the Philippines.
Braddock was not too long ago deported from the Philippines to the United States and made his first courtroom look in Los Angeles on Thursday.
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Rep. Anna Paulina Luna attends a marketing campaign rally for former President Trump on the Aero Center in Wilmington, North Carolina, Sept. 21, 2024. (Jim Watson/AFP through Getty Images)
Luna, an Air Force veteran and former media guide, was not named within the indictment. While she was working for Congress, nonetheless, Luna contended in 2021 civil courtroom paperwork that Braddock, a fellow GOP challenger and former Marine, was stalking her and needed her useless.
A choose granted Luna and a conservative activist and pal of hers, Erin Olszewski, a short lived restraining order towards Braddock. He subsequently dropped out of the race, denying the allegations and citing publicity from the case.
Politico reported on the time that Olszewski had secretly recorded a cellphone name with Braddock during which he mentioned an alleged “Russian and Ukrainian hit squad” might kill Luna inside 24 hours. “Luna’s going to go down and I hope it’s by herself,” Braddock allegedly mentioned within the recording, in line with Politico, which mentioned it had obtained the recording in June 2021. “For the better or the good of the majority of the people, we’ve got to sacrifice the few.”
In a textual content message to Politico then, Braddock reportedly mentioned the tape “may even be altered and edited” and that he might carry civil lawsuits and search prison costs towards these in possession of the recording.
“This is a dirty political tactic that has caused a lot of people a lot of stress and is completely unnecessary,” he reportedly mentioned on the time.
In courtroom proceedings relating to whether or not the restraining order could be made everlasting, Luna, who was endorsed by former President Trump twice, testified that she had solely transient in-person contact with Braddock at a political occasion, however heard from a number of acquaintances that he was allegedly making threats to have her killed.
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Rep. Anna Paulina Luna speaks on the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on July 17, 2024. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc through Getty Images)
“Mr. Braddock clearly hated my guts and wanted to hurt me,” Luna mentioned in courtroom, in line with The Associated Press. “I started getting very afraid of him. It was horrifying, and it still is.”
“I think he’s an evil person,” she mentioned in September 2021. “I think he has definitely emotionally terrorized me.”
Olszewski testified that she secretly recorded a cellphone name she initiated with Braddock during which he allegedly claimed the purported Russian-Ukrainian hit squad would reply shortly if he made a single cellphone name – and likewise allegedly made veiled threats towards her three kids if she repeated what he mentioned. Olszewski mentioned she shared the contents of the Braddock name she recorded on an iPad with Luna, and each ladies known as police.
In the brand new indictment unsealed final week, Braddock is charged with one depend of interstate transmission of a real menace to injure one other particular person.
He faces a most penalty of 5 years in jail if convicted, prosecutors mentioned.
The case was introduced in relation to the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force, which was introduced by Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2021 to deal with violent threats towards election staff.
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Reached by Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for Luna declined to touch upon the indictment itself however mentioned the GOP congresswoman prior to now month alone “has faced a growing number of death threats.”
“Female members of Congress are disproportionately targeted for stalking, violence, and harassment compared to their male counterparts,” Luna's spokesperson mentioned. “This alarming trend points to a broader and more disturbing issue of violence in the political arena. Violence must never be tolerated.”
Luna “is committed to spreading this message to her constituents and America,” the spokesperson advised Fox News Digital. “She will continue to advocate for and educate on ending the violence and abuse that so many women face, whether emotional or physical.”
Fox News' Michael Lee and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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