Florida man, who fled to the Philippines, charged for allegedly threatening to kill political opponent

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Justice Department said on Friday it charged a Florida man for allegedly threatening to kill one of his opponents in a 2022 Republican primary race for a U.S. House seat, which subsequently was won by Representative Anna Paulina Luna.

In an indictment unsealed in a Florida federal court, prosecutors said William Robert Braddock III, 41, of St. Petersburg, Florida, threatened to kill an unnamed victim on June 8, 2021.

Newspaper reports in Florida at the time about a related civil trial described alleged threats by Braddock against Luna.

Aides to Luna were unable to immediately comment as they dealt with recovery efforts related to Hurricane Helene, which has hit Florida with destructive force.

According to the indictment, Braddock allegedly threatened to "call up my Russian-Ukrainian hit squad" and make his primary opponent "disappear."

Braddock subsequently dropped out of the race and fled the United States. He later was found to be living in the Philippines, according to the indictment.

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

Luna is expected to fairly easily win reelection, according to a Reuters analysis of the three main U.S. nonpartisan political ratings services.

If convicted, Braddock faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, according to the Justice Department.

The indictment comes at a time when the Justice Department is trying to clamp down on threats against election workers in the run-up to November's presidential and congressional elections. — Reuters