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Left: William Braddock reviews documents during a hearing in June 2021 in Clearwater, Florida. (Chris Urso/Tampa Bay Times via AP, File). Right: Representative Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., arrives before former President Donald Trump addresses a campaign rally at Wilmington International Airport, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Wilmington, N.C. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon).
A former Florida congressional candidate is going to prison for making threats to kill his opponent — who went on to win — during the 2021 Republican primary.
William Robert Braddock III, 41, received a three-year prison sentence on Wednesday after admitting in February to making interstate threats of harm. His intended victim was Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office confirmed.
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According to prosecutors, Braddock called Luna’s friend and said he would “call up my Russian-Ukrainian hit squad” and make her “disappear.”
“I will be the next congressman for this District. Period. End of discussion,” he said. “And anybody going up against me is f—ing ignorant for doing so. [Luna’s] ignorant so I don’t have a problem taking her out, but I’m not going to do that dirty work myself obviously.”
After making the threats, Braddock allegedly fled to the Philippines where he was arrested and later deported back to the United States.
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As Law&Crime previously reported, Luna and Braddock were running for Florida’s 13th Congressional District to replace then-U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, a Democrat, after he vacated his seat in order to run for governor — a race he ultimately lost. Luna won the primary and then the general election. She filed an injunction against Braddock in June 2021 after he made the alleged threatening call and had been stalking her, according to The Associated Press.
“I do not feel safe and I am currently in fear for my life from Mr. Braddock,” Luna reportedly said in her petition.
Luna declined to comment on the indictment to Fox News but a spokesperson issued a statement that said she had been a target of numerous threats in general.
“Female members of Congress are disproportionately targeted for stalking, violence, and harassment compared to their male counterparts,” Luna’s spokesperson said. “This alarming trend points to a broader and more disturbing issue of violence in the political arena. Violence must never be tolerated.”
The case was prosecuted as part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force which aims to address threats of violence against people in the political arena whether they be elected officials or election workers.
