FL Rep. Luna’s 2022 Primary Challenger Charged ‘With Threatening to Kill Her’
“Specifically, Braddock threatened, in part, to ‘call up my Russian-Ukrainian hit squad’ and make Victim 1 [Luna] disappear. After making the threats, Braddock left the United States and was later found to be residing in the Philippines.”
The DOJ charged Florida Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna’s 2022 primary opponent, William Braddock, with threatening to kill her.
Holy moly. I forgot this happened! From the DOJ (emphasis mine):
According to the indictment, William Robert Braddock III, 41, of St. Petersburg, and Victim 1 were candidates in the primary election to represent the 13th Congressional District of Florida in the U.S. House of Representatives. Victim 2 was a private citizen and acquaintance of Victim 1. On June 8, 2021, Braddock made several threats to injure and kill Victim 1 and Victim 2 during a telephone call with Victim 2. Specifically, Braddock threatened, in part, to “call up my Russian-Ukrainian hit squad” and make Victim 1 disappear. After making the threats, Braddock left the United States and was later found to be residing in the Philippines. Braddock was recently deported from the Philippines to the United States and made his first court appearance yesterday in Los Angeles.
Braddock is charged with one count of interstate transmission of a true threat to injure another person. If convicted, Braddock faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Politico published the phone call in 2021. Braddock told Victim 2, conservative activist Erin Olszewski, not to support Luna in the primary.
“I really don’t want to have to end anybody’s life for the good of the people of the United States of America,” Braddock said at one point in the conversation last week, according to the recording exclusively obtained by POLITICO. “That will break my heart. But if it needs to be done, it needs to be done. Luna is a f—ing speed bump in the road. She’s a dead squirrel you run over every day when you leave the neighborhood.”
Braddock wouldn’t tell Politico if he made the threats against Luna despite having it on a recording:
Asked repeatedly via text if he mentioned Russian-Ukrainian hit squads, Braddock wouldn’t give a yes or no answer, saying he had not heard the recording and that it’s “allegedly me … there is no proof of that.” He also suggested the recording “may even be altered and edited.”
“This is a dirty political tactic that has caused a lot of people a lot of stress and is completely unnecessary,” he said.
Olszewski denied altering or clipping the recording.
Olszewski said she recorded Braddock due to previous conversations with him. She described him as “unhinged” when talking about Luna.
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Comments
Sounds like the kind of person welcomed by the Democratic Party!
The article doesn’t mention that Braddock was a GOP opponent to GOP Luna.
https://nypost.com/2023/06/22/florida-gop-candidate-who-threatened-rival-nabbed-in-philippines/
It says extremely clearly several times that he was her primary opponent, so anybody who understands those words can figure out they were from the same party.
Unless a reader is from a state where the term “primary” can refer to the first round of a two-round election, which is contested by candidates from multiple parties, and is unaware that Florida’s primaries are not like that.
No fucking shit Sherlock. I’m just surprised this clown isn’t a card carrying Democrat 😂😂 Although maybe he is now? 🤔😂
Jungle primary.
Probably brought him back to put a gun in his hands
Democrats and their supporters are unhinged murderers waiting to happen.
Many instances of proof.
Luna is a target for them. Trump is a target for them.
Democrats will find someone else to do their dirty work.
Not a Democrat, though.
I don’t recall saying anything other than a generic comment about Democrats, while using an article about threats to conservative politicians.
I didn’t care what the article references.
It is rather astonishing when someone can use a circumstance to make an assertion directly at odds with the facts of said circumstance. This guy is a conservative Republican making threats at another Republican and somehow this is the fault of nameless Democrats. I imagine some sucker on trial in the Soviet Union in 1937 blaming fascists for his sad fate.
See my comment above.
I don’t recall making that assertion.
“using an article about threats to conservative politicians.”
“Luna is a target for them [Democrats]”
It surely is hard to take your comments any other way.
Meanwhile, Virginia man charged with threatening to kill Kamala Harris.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/virginia-man-charged-threatening-kill-kamala-harris-rcna165280
Have no fear, they’ll lock him in the gulag and no one will ever hear from him again.
Is this supposed to be a weak attempt at whataboutism for the assassination attempts on Trump?
Do you have any idea how many Dems would be in jail for threats against Trump on social media if the Dems policed speech evenly?
Yes, I do have an idea. The answer is none at all. The law against making criminal threats is policed evenly, and nobody gets away with making threats against Trump. The burden is only you to prove otherwise, and you can’t do that.
Remember that advocating someone’s murder is not a threat, and is not only completely legal but can’t be made illegal.
Meahwhile, Trump has had two actual assassination attempts against him, and you’ve been completely silent about that.
Get the hell out of here, dufus.