A Florida man has been arrested and charged with threatening to kill Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla. William Braddock was Luna’s primary opponent in 2021 when he said he was going to “call up my Russian-Ukrainian hit squad” and make her disappear.
The threats were recorded during a telephone conversation.
“We have access to a hit squad too – the Ukrainians, the Russians,” Braddock told conservative activist Erin Olszewski who recorded the conversation and provided it to Politico in 2021.
“Luna’s gonna go down. And I hope it’s by herself,” Braddock said.
Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.
Point phone camera here
“My polling people are gonna charge me $20,000 to go poll right before the primary. And if the poll says Luna’s gonna win she’s gonna be gone, she’s gonna disappear,” Braddock continued.
Braddock then warned Olszewski, “You cannot tell anybody that. For the good of our country we have to sacrifice the few.”
Braddock is charged with one count of interstate transmission of a true threat to injure another person. He faces five years in prison if convicted.
According to the Justice Department, Braddock fled to the Philippines after he made the comments. He was deported, returned to the United States and made his first court appearance in Los Angeles on Thursday, Sept. 26.
The Justice Department said there was a second victim who was described as a private citizen, but their name remains sealed.
This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force, which focuses on threats of violence against election workers and ensures all those who are elected, appointed or volunteering can do their job without intimidation.
