TAMPA, FL – On Wednesday, May 21st a former Florida Republican congressional candidate accused of stalking and plotting to have his primary opponent murdered by a foreign hit squad was sentenced to three years in federal prison.
According to CBS News, 41-year-old William Robert Braddock III of St. Petersburg, was sentenced in Tampa federal court after pleading guilty back in February to sending an interstate transmission of a threat to injure. The Blaze Media reported that Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida accused Braddock of stalking her and wanting her dead during the campaign back in 2021.
Braddock was recorded speaking to a political activist when he threatened to contact his “Russian-Ukrainian hit squad” and have her killed. The call, that was obtained by Politico, shows Braddock saying, “I really don’t want to have to end anybody’s life for the good of the people of the United States of America. That will break by heart, but if it needs to be done, it needs to be done. Luna is a (expletive) speed bump on the road. She’s a dead squirrel you run over every day when you leave the neighborhood.”
Investigators said that Braddock spent months disparaging Luna and attempting to inject himself into her life. Braddock said that the hit squad could kill Luna within 24 hours. The recording of the phone call shows Braddock saying, “Luna’s going to go down and I hope it’s by herself. For the better or the good of the majority of the people, we’ve got to sacrifice the few.”
Politico said Braddock described the “hit squad” as being armed for “close-battle combat” to make sure nothing was left to chance. However, there was no evidence that Braddock, a Marine veteran, took any actual steps to fulfill the threat.
Officials said that Braddock flew to Thailand once the investigation began before eventually settling in the Philippines. He then turned himself in to law enforcement in Manila in 2023 and was brought to the U.S. to face trial in 2024.
Luna went on to win the primary election for Florida’s 13th Congressional District and also won the general election. She has since won a re-election campaign. When he was charged, Luna’s office released a general statement about death threats to the congresswoman. A Luna spokesperson said, “Female members of Congress are disproportionately targeted for stalking, violence, and harassment compared to their male counterparts. This alarming trend points to a broader and more disturbing issue of violence in the political arena.”
A press release from the Department of Justice (DOJ) said that the investigation was led by the FBI Tampa Division and the St. Petersburg Police Department. The United States Marshals Service also provided substantial assistance. The investigation also had the help from foreign law enforcement cooperation provided by the Philippine Department of Justice and the Philippine Bureau of Immigration.
