Florida politician charged for threatening to call his ‘Russian-Ukrainian hit squad’ to kill GOP rival

An ex-Florida Republican candidate for Congress has been indicted on federal charges after a The recording exposed him for threatening to kill a GOP rival with Ukrainian and Russian hit squads.

William Braddock, 41, was caught on tape saying that if it looked like rival Anna Paulina Luna would win the Republican Party primary for the 13th District Congressional seat — which she ultimately did — he would eliminate her.

According to the indictment, Braddock threatened to “summon my Russian-Ukrainian assassin” and make his main opponent “disappear.”

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

Braddock was recently deported and made his first court appearance in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Luna aides could not immediately comment as they were busy with recovery efforts related to Hurricane Helene, which hit Florida with devastating force.

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

“I really don’t want to have to end anyone’s life for the good of the people of the United States of America,” Braddock said in a 2021 conversation.

‘That will break my heart. But if it has to be done, it has to be done. Luna is a damn speed bump on the road. She’s a dead squirrel you see every day when you leave the neighborhood.’

Braddock said his “voters” would charge him $20,000 to conduct a poll before the Republican Party primaries.

‘And if the poll says Luna will win, she’s gone. She’s going to disappear,” he said in the recording. ‘For the good of our country we must sacrifice the few… For the better or the good of the majority of the people we must sacrifice the few.’

The Tampa Bay Times reports this in 2021 that Luna, who ran for the seat in 2020 and lost to Democratic Rep. Charlie Crist, filed a stalking warrant against Braddock.

“I received information yesterday (at midnight) about a plan (with a timeline) to kill me, created by William Braddock in an attempt to prevent me from winning the election for FL-13,” Luna wrote in the petition.

Braddock, 41, was caught on tape saying that if it looked like rival Anna Paulina Luna (pictured) would win the Republican Party primary for the 13th District Congressional seat — which she ultimately did — he would kick her out to fetch

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

In the document, she also accused her main rival of 2020, Amanda Makki and Matt Tito, who is thinking of jumping ship in 2022, of being involved in a plot to “take her out.”

Another woman, a nurse turned conservative COVID-19 whistleblower, Erin Olszewski, also filed an injunction against Braddock.

Olszewski was the woman who gave Politico a recording of a phone conversation she had with Braddock, in which she said he made the threats.

In it, Braddock makes bold statements about access to alleged murderers.

He said he would get help from fellow Freemasons to finance the plot and also import millions from Malta and Gibraltar.

“I also have access to an assassin, Ukrainians and Russians,” he said, warning Olszewski, “don’t get caught in public supporting Luna… Luna is going down and I hope it’s alone.”

Politico reached Braddock by text message, where he declined to say whether he had made threats against Luna or brought up Ukrainian and Russian assassination squads.

He told the publication that it was me… there is no evidence that “the recording can even be altered and edited.”

Anna Paulina Luna received the endorsement of former President Donald Trump for her 2020 bid for the House of Representatives. Here she appears at a Make America Great Again rally in Tampa, days before the election

“This is a dirty political tactic that has caused a lot of stress to many people and is completely unnecessary,” he said.

Olszewski denied doctoring the recording, saying she recorded it because of his “unhinged” dislike for Luna — who was endorsed by embattled Rep. Matt Gaetz and former President Donald Trump during the last election cycle.

Olszewski turned over the June 9 recording to St. Petersburg police and informed Luna, who then filed a stalking warrant against Braddock.

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

The indictment comes as the Justice Department tries to clamp down on threats against election workers ahead of November’s presidential and congressional elections.