Man who phoned in death threats to Gaetz sentenced to home detention
Rep. Matt Gaetz at February's Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
A California man was sentenced to six months' home confinement over death threats he made to Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) in a phone message three days after the U.S. Capitol riot.
The big picture: Eugene Huelsman, 59, of Thousand Oaks, pleaded guilty last April to one count of transmission of a threat in interstate commerce after "threatening to kill" Gaetz in a "profanity laced voicemail" message at the congressman's district office in Pensacola, Florida, per a Justice Department statement.
- "This included threatening to 'put a bullet in' Congressman Gaetz and members of his family," the Department of Justice said of the Jan. 9, 2021, message.
- "Huelsman also threatened that he was 'coming for' the Congressman, and that he hoped the Congressman would 'die in a shallow grave,'" the DOJ added.
What they're saying: Huelsman's defense attorney Curtis Fallgatter told Politico his client left the message after he heard Gaetz praise the Trump supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
- "He saw all the supporting comments from Gaetz saying those are good people. ... That’s what motivated the case," Fallgatter said.
For the record: Jason Coody, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, said in a statement on Thursday that the sentence should "serve as a significant deterrent to those who would threaten violence against others" instead of engaging in lawful debate.
- "The free exercise of speech is central to our democracy," Coody said. "However, the communication of threats of physical violence ... is clearly unlawful."
What's next: "Huelsman's home confinement will be followed by five years' probation, and a $10,000 fine," per the DOJ statement.
Go deeper: Capitol Police data indicates threats to lawmakers have surged since 2017