Former Florida Republican candidate William Braddock will serve three years in federal prison for threatening to deploy a “Russian-Ukrainian hit squad” to murder his political rival Anna Paulina Luna during their congressional primary battle.
Key Takeaways
- William Robert Braddock III received a three-year federal prison sentence for threatening to murder his Republican primary opponent, Anna Paulina Luna.
- Braddock explicitly threatened to employ a “Russian-Ukrainian hit squad” to eliminate Luna if she continued polling well in the race.
- After making the threats, Braddock fled to Thailand and later the Philippines before surrendering to authorities in Manila in 2023.
- Despite the threats against her life, Luna won both the Republican primary and the congressional seat for Florida’s 13th District.
- Braddock pleaded guilty to transmitting threatening messages across state lines, a charge that carried a maximum sentence of five years.
Violent Political Intimidation Ends in Prison Time
William Robert Braddock III, a former Florida Republican congressional candidate, has been sentenced to three years in federal prison after pleading guilty to making death threats against his primary opponent, Anna Paulina Luna. The threats, which included mentions of hiring assassins to eliminate Luna, represented an extreme escalation of political rivalry in the race for Florida’s 13th Congressional District. Braddock’s conviction stems from transmitting threatening messages across state lines, a federal offense that underscores the serious legal consequences for violent political intimidation.
“Russian-Ukrainian hit squad,” William Robert Braddock III said to Ground News
Court documents revealed that Braddock viewed Luna as “his only obstacle to winning that race” and was prepared to take extreme measures to eliminate the competition. During a recorded phone call with Republican activist Erin Olszewski in June 2021, Braddock explicitly threatened Luna’s life. The recording, which was subsequently leaked to Politico, captured Braddock’s menacing words and intentions, providing prosecutors with damning evidence that ultimately led to his conviction.
Former Florida congressional candidate sentenced to prison for threatening to kill Anna Paulina Luna https://t.co/yYh7fCPU4Q
— Just the News (@JustTheNews) May 22, 2025
Flight from Justice and Eventual Surrender
Following the exposure of his threats, Braddock, a former Marine, fled the United States to evade prosecution. He initially traveled to Thailand before eventually settling in the Philippines. His attempt to escape justice lasted until June 2023, when he finally surrendered to authorities in Manila. After his surrender, Braddock was extradited back to the United States in September 2024 to face the charges against him, culminating in his guilty plea and three-year prison sentence.
Investigators found no evidence that Braddock had actually contacted any foreign criminal organizations or taken concrete steps to execute his murderous plot. However, the explicit nature of his threats and his declaration that “if it needs to be done, it needs to be done” when discussing Luna’s potential murder were deemed serious enough to warrant federal prosecution. The Department of Justice pursued the case aggressively, highlighting the government’s commitment to protecting the integrity of the electoral process from violent intimidation.
Luna’s Victory Despite Threats
In a powerful testament to resilience, Anna Paulina Luna not only continued her campaign despite the threats against her life but went on to win both the Republican primary and the congressional seat in 2021. Luna’s victory represents a repudiation of intimidation tactics in American politics and demonstrates that threats of violence cannot derail the democratic process. While Braddock faced a maximum possible sentence of five years in federal prison, the court ultimately imposed a three-year sentence, reflecting the serious nature of his crime while falling short of the maximum penalty.
“if it needs to be done, it needs to be done,” said William Braddock
This case sends a clear message that threats of political violence carry serious legal consequences, regardless of whether the perpetrator intends to follow through. The prosecution of Braddock demonstrates that in American democracy, political competition must remain within the bounds of lawful discourse, and attempts to intimidate opponents through threats of violence will be met with the full force of federal law enforcement. The three-year sentence represents justice for Luna and a warning to others who might consider similar tactics of intimidation.
