Texas man sentenced for swarming Maxine Waters with death threats
A Texan has been sentenced to federal prison for making vile phone threats to California Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters' office.
On Monday, Brian Gaherty, 61, was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and be sent away for a 33 month term, federal prosecutors said in a statement.
“Threats to harm or kill elected officials are anathema to our nation’s values and must not – and will not – be tolerated,” said federal prosecutor Martin Estrada.
The feds counted four voicemails left at Waters’ Hawthorne office — each laced with "profanity, and racist and misogynistic language," federal prosecutors said.
Gaherty pleaded guilty Jan. 29, in downtown Los Angeles to a felony count of threatening a United States official. It was months after his summer arrest. Waters' office reported the calls to U.S. Capitol Police.
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The agents used the phone number to determine that Gaherty was in Houston, Texas.
During their investigation, they found that Gaherty had "a history of sending racist, violent threats to other congresswomen.”
In August 2022, an investigation into Gaherty threatened to “put a cap” between the congresswoman’s eyes,” “cut [her] throat,” and “stomp” her.
He further warned that she “better move” because he and his “boys in the area” had a “contract” on her life.
Authorities unsuccessfully tried to intervene in October 2022 and compel Gaherty to quit the harassment. Weeks later he left more violent threats.
In November 2022, Gaherty placed two more voicemails to Waters telling her that she “done [expletive] up” by informing law enforcement about his threats and added, “This ain’t no threat. It’s a …promise.”
He also warned Waters he would confront her “on the street” and “get in [her] face,” and again told her that he and his “crowd” had a contract to “take [her]… out.”
Lastly, he informed her in another final message: “You better watch your back.”
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Gary Klausner concluded that Gaherty targeted his attacks against Waters based on race and considered it a hate-crime enhancement to grow Gaherty’s sentence.