A former primary opponent of Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., was charged on Friday by the Justice Department with threatening to kill her with a "Russian-Ukrainian" hit squad, the Washington Examiner reported.
William Braddock, 41, was charged with one count of interstate transmission of a true threat to injure another person after he allegedly told a local activist in a recorded call in 2021 that he wanted to "call up my Russian-Ukrainian hit squad" and make Luna disappear. Braddock then fled to the Philippines, according to the DOJ, and was recently deported back to the United States.
Charges weren't initially filed against Braddock for the comments. However, a Florida court in 2021 granted Luna and a conservative activist and friend of hers, Erin Olszewski, a temporary restraining order, NBC News reported. Braddock ended his campaign shortly after the judge granted the injunction.
The DOJ later pursued charges as part of its Election Threats Task Force, which aims to "address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation," according to the Washington Examiner.
Luna is up for reelection on Nov. 5. Last month, the Republican primary for her seat was canceled after Luna was the only candidate to qualify, according to NBC News.
A spokesperson for the congresswoman told NBC that her office could not comment on the case but said Luna has "faced a growing number of death threats" in the past month, which the spokesperson said pointed to a "broader and more disturbing issue of violence in the political arena."