### Former Congressional Candidate Faces Charges for Alleged Hit Squad Threats Against Rival

A political scandal has erupted as William Braddock, 41, from St. Petersburg, Florida, faces charges over allegations that he threatened to send a hit squad to eliminate his political opponent while challenging Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.). The Justice Department has charged Braddock with interstate transmission of a true threat to injure another person. This charge stems from a June 8, 2021 incident, in which Braddock allegedly threatened to "call up my Russian-Ukrainian hit squad" to target his rival.

Although prosecutors have not explicitly named the victim, Braddock was competing against fellow Republican Luna at the time. He was reportedly caught on audio making derogatory comments, referring to Luna as a "dead squirrel" and "a f-ing speed bump in the road." Following the incident, Braddock fled to the Philippines but was eventually extradited back to the United States. He made an appearance in a Los Angeles federal court on Thursday.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, who recently disclosed receiving a "very serious shooting threat," won the election in her district and was first sworn into Congress in January 2023. She had previously contested and lost the seat to former Florida Governor Charlie Crist in the 2020 election cycle. The recording of Braddock’s chilling threat was made by a conservative activist and was later reported by Politico.

In the audio, Braddock can be heard 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 my heart. But if it needs to be done, it needs to be done. Luna is a f-ing speed bump in the road. She's a dead squirrel you run over every day when you leave the neighborhood." Braddock initially denied making these threats and suggested the audio may have been altered. Nonetheless, a judge sanctioned a restraining order against him, and he subsequently withdrew from the race. He now faces up to five years in prison.

This indictment is part of a broader effort by federal prosecutors to combat election-related threats and political violence, especially as the 2024 election cycle approaches. Earlier this month, Rep. Luna revealed that her office had received a serious shooting threat. Due to an ongoing investigation, details about the threat remain scarce.

In a broader statement, Luna noted, "Just hours before this threat to my office, we saw how there was a second assassination attempt on President Trump’s life." The Secret Service had responded to an attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life on September 15 and subsequently arrested the suspect, 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Rought.

Furthermore, Luna claims she had been doxxed and criticized her Democratic opponent, Whitney Fox, for calling her a "threat to democracy." Despite these challenges, Luna is favored to win reelection for Florida's 13th Congressional District. The House Democratic campaign arm has even moved the race to its Red to Blue program.