Florida Republican charged with threat to ‘call up hit squad’ to kill primary rival

The justice department has charged a Florida man for threatening to "call up my Russian-Ukrainian hit squad" to kill his political opponent, the Republican congressional representative Anna Paulina Luna, in 2021.

The department unsealed an indictment against 41-year-old William Robert Braddock III of St Petersburg, Florida on Thursday, alleging that on 8 June 2021 he made multiple threats to hurt and kill Luna - identified as Victim 1 in the indictment - in a phone call with another individual, Victim 2.

Braddock and Luna were candidates in the 2021 Republican primary election in Florida's 13th congressional district. Victim 2 was identified as a private citizen and acquaintance of Luna.

In 2021, the Associated Press reported that Luna alleged in a Florida court that Braddock was stalking her and had threatened to hurt her.

In her petition at the time for a permanent restraining order, Luna said she received text messages between Braddock and other people in which Braddock allegedly said he wanted to "take me out". Luna added that others told her the text "means he intends to kill me".

"I do not feel safe and I am currently in fear for my life from Mr Braddock," Luna said in the petition.

The justice department said that Braddock subsequently left the US and was living in the Philippines, but was recently deported back to the US, where he made his first court appearance on Thursday in Los Angeles.

Braddock was charged with one count of interstate transmission of a true threat to injure another person. If found guilty, he faces up to five years in prison.

The case is part of the justice department's election threats task force. Launched in June 2021, it addresses threats of violence against election workers.