6-26-2023 2:11pm

Pinellas County Fugitive William Braddock Who Fled The Country After Threatening Anna Paulina Luna Arrested in the Philippines

Tidings Staff Editor

William Braddock Arrested For Threats to Anna Paulina Luna in the 2022 Congressional Election

Media outlets were quick to cast aspersions on then congressional candidate Anna Paulina Luna for seeking a protective order against alleged stalker and former Pinellas County congressional candidate William Braddock in the build up to the 2022 US House of Representatives election in Florida. Now, Braddock has been arrested in the Phillipines on an international man hunt for the threats against now congresswoman Luna, leaving media critics and former opponents with egg on their face as we wait and watch for retractions from news stories and commentaries that got nearly every aspect of this seeming national security threat wrong. Check out how the Tampa Bay Times reported on this :

“I really don’t want to have to end anybody’s life for the good of the people of the United States of America. ... 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.” William Braddock said about Anna Paulina Luna in a secretly recorded audio clip in the days leading up to the 2022 election.

For months, Tidings Media was hearing that there was an ongoing investigation into William Braddock, who exited the race to be Pinellas County's conngressional representative right before his attorney, Kevin Hayslett then entered the race. Hayslett was then defeated in the 2022 GOP primary by Luna in an election night landslide. To be honest, we thought the stories of the ongoing investigation into Braddock stemming from his 2021 threats of then-candidate Luna was just hype.

Now Braddock has been arrested in Manila, the capitol of the Philippines, awaiting extradition to the United States over the original threats to now Congresswoman Luna. The entire original audio of the threat is posted unedited as was included in previous court hearings below.

For anyone that has followed this made-for television drama including Braddock invoking Russian-Ukrainian hit squads, and even foreshadowing a new entrant before his attorney entered a bid for the GOP nomination after litigating against Luna's request for a protective order in a race that had the potential to affect the balance of power in the United States House of Representatives, the arrest is just the latest chapter in a drama we have watched unfold as we've had a front row seat to this page turner story and Luna's eventual victory despite all of the drama.

“I have access to a hit squad, too, Ukrainians and Russians,” Braddock said about three minutes into the recorded call, adding “don’t get caught out in public supporting Luna. … Luna’s gonna go down and I hope it’s by herself.”

Pinellas Circuit Court Judge Doneene Loar dismissed the request for a protective order on Friday, September 21, 2021. One must wonder now if Loar had the chance for a re-do if she would have made a different decision, but Braddock's arrest this past week was based on an ongoing investigation with additional details and evidence Judge Loar didn't have access to at the time. Loar is up for re-election on the 2024 ballot in Pinellas County.

“In no way does me following the law condone anything you have done in this case,” Loar said during the 2021 hearing.

Kevin Hayslett, the attorney representing Braddock, said while the judge did not condone Braddock’s behavior, she concluded that he was not involved in stalking, by the legal definition.

“She found that Mr. Braddock’s conduct and his language was inappropriate, but legally, there was no act of stalking,” he said.

At one point during the zoom hearing trial, Braddock appeared on camera during the hearing wearing a tee shirt reading "Roger Stone did nothing wrong." Stone has attacked Luna repetitively on social media advocating for other candidates and making unusual and repetitive allegations of his own against Luna, most of which have been debunked

Braddock’s attorney, Kevin Hayslett, argued Luna’s stalking complaint should be dismissed because Braddock never directly threatened or confronted her. He also argued Braddock was exercising constitutionally protected free speech concerning a public figure.

“I call up my Russian and Ukrainian hit squad, and within 24 hours, they’re sending me pictures of her disappearing,” he replied. “No, I’m not joking. Like, this is beyond my control this point. Russian mafia. Close-battle combat, TEC-9s, MAC-10s, silencers kind of thing. No snipers. Up close and personal. So they know that the target has gone.” - William Braddock, 2021 Secret Recording

Braddock was wanted for violating Section 875 of the United States Code, specifically for Interstate Transmission of Threat to Injure, according to initial reports from publication the Manila Bulletin. The arrest was coordinated and carried out by the Philippines Bureau of Immigration (BI) Fugitive Search Unit (FSU), working in coordination with the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US Diplomatic Security Service-Overseas Criminal Investigations.

“I do not feel safe and am currently in fear for my life,” Luna wrote, according to a copy of the filing for protective order in 2021.

“Don’t be on the f---ing wrong side of supporting Luna because if you’re near her when the time comes, I just don’t want that to happen to you because you’ve got kids,” Braddock said on the call. “So don’t be associated with Luna under any circumstances. Please. And do not repeat this anybody because both of us will be in jeopardy if you do. I’m not just blowing smoke here. I’m f---ing being dead ass serious and it scares the s--- out of me, too.”