Man said he’d kill Matt Gaetz in 2-minute-long voicemail, feds say. ‘Watch your back’
The caller who left a nearly two-minute-long voicemail saying he would kill Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., was sentenced to six months home confinement, according to federal prosecutors.
Eugene Huelsman, 59, of California, called Gaetz’s congressional district office in Pensacola, Florida, on Jan. 9, 2021, and threatened to “put a bullet in” him and his family members, a July 28 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida says.
“Watch your back and watch your kids, I’m coming for you. I’m gonna get you. … You wanna call me back? Do it, I dare you. … I hope you die in a shallow grave, you despicable tyrant,” Huelsman’s lengthy voicemail stated in part, court documents show.
His call came three days after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and a few years after the U.S. Secret Service investigated him for posts he made on social media about an unspecified former president’s family in 2018, according to court documents.
McClatchy News contacted Huelsman’s attorney for comment on July 29 and was awaiting a response.
“Words matter and this sentencing should serve as a warning,” Sherri E. Onks, FBI special agent in charge of the Jacksonville division, said in a statement.
“Everyone has the right to express their opinion, but when you harass, intimidate, and threaten violence against others, it’s a federal crime that will not be tolerated.”
Huelsman’s voicemail “triggered security protocols related” to Gaetz, and the U.S. Capitol Police were immediately notified of the “profanity laced” message, the news release says.
Huelsman was also sentenced to five years probation and a $10,000 fine, according to the attorney’s office.
Huelsman, of Thousand Oaks, was nominated for Emmy awards for his camerawork on NBC’s “Late Night With Conan O’Brien,” according to his bio on Emmys.com.
His sentence was announced the same day a hashtag about Gaetz, #ThanksMattGaetz, was trending on Twitter after he made fun of a 19-year-old female activist’s appearance at a rally in Tampa, the Miami Herald reported.
The activist, Olivia Julianna, said Gaetz’s insult “unintentionally” brought her attention and helped her raise $1 million to fund abortions and other services related to reproductive health, according to the Miami Herald.
This story was originally published July 29, 2022 at 3:10 PM with the headline "Man said he’d kill Matt Gaetz in 2-minute-long voicemail, feds say. ‘Watch your back’."
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