'Tell Matt Gaetz to watch his back': Authorities arrest a California man they say left Florida congressman death threats
AP Photo/Patrick Semansky
- Authorities say Eugene Huelsman threatened Rep. Matt Gaetz in a voicemail on January 9.
- A federal jury in Pensacola, Florida, indicted Huelsman for his threat against Gaetz on May 18.
- An initial hearing for the case will be held Friday at a US District Court in Florida.
Eugene Huelsman, 58, was arrested last week in connection with a threat that was made against Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz.
The indictment against Huelsman charges him with one count of threatening Gaetz over the phone on Jan. 9, three days after rioters stormed the US Capitol. The charge carries a potential fine and up to five years in prison.
"Tell [M.G.] to watch his back, tell him to watch his children... I'm coming for him, he's gonna f-ck-ng die... I'm gonna f-ck-ng kill him... Watch your back, I'm coming for you. I'm gonna put a bullet in you and I'm gonna put a bullet in one of your f-ck-ng kids too," Huelsman said in a voicemail, according to court documents.
Huelsman was indicted on May 18 by a federal grand jury in Pensacola, Florida. However, his whereabouts at the time were unknown and the indictment was sealed.
He was arrested last week, days after Gaetz criticized the Justice Department on the House floor for its handling of threats against him, claiming it is "biased against Republicans," Politico reported.
"I think someone may be trying to kill me and if they are successful I would like my constituents and my family to know who stopped their arrest," Gaetz said last Wednesday, according to the outlet.
On Friday, Huelsman was released on $20,000 bail, a US Attorney's Office spokesperson told Politico.