Florida Man Charged for Allegedly Threatening to Kill Political Opponent

Florida Man Charged with Threatening Political Opponent

The U.S. Justice Department announced on Friday that a Florida man has been charged with allegedly threatening to kill one of his opponents in the 2022 Republican primary for a U.S. House seat, which was ultimately won by Representative Anna Paulina Luna.

In an indictment unsealed in a federal court in Florida, prosecutors stated that William Robert Braddock III, 41, from St. Petersburg, Florida, threatened to kill an unnamed individual on June 8, 2021.

At that time, a civil trial in Florida included reports of alleged threats made by Braddock against Luna.

Aides to Luna were not immediately available for comment as they were engaged in recovery efforts due to Hurricane Helene, which has caused significant damage in the state.

According to the indictment, Braddock purportedly threatened to "call up my Russian-Ukrainian hit squad" to eliminate his primary rival.

Following these events, Braddock withdrew from the race and left the United States, eventually being located in the Philippines, as indicated in the indictment.

He was recently deported and made his initial court appearance on Thursday in Los Angeles.

Analyses suggest that Luna is expected to secure reelection with relative ease, based on evaluations from the leading U.S. nonpartisan political rating services.

If convicted, Braddock could face a maximum sentence of five years in prison, as outlined by the Justice Department. This indictment follows the Justice Department’s ongoing efforts to address threats against election workers in anticipation of the upcoming presidential and congressional elections in November.