The last thing anyone wants to see is politics devolve into violence. But it looks like this country is running headlong into it.
And now sudden assassination news leaves Washington, D.C. paralyzed with fear.
On Monday, a Texas man was sentenced to nearly three years in jail for making a series of death threats against Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA).
Brian Michael Gaherty of Houston was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison after making repeated phone calls in 2022 threatening to k*ll Waters, according to a news statement from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. Gaherty also received a $10,000 fine.
In April 2023, a federal grand jury accused Gaherty for making threatening phone calls to Waters the year before.
Gaherty was charged with “four counts of making threats in interstate communications and four counts of threatening a United States official,” according to an April 2023 press statement.
“Threats to harm or k*ll elected officials are anathema to our nation’s values and must not – and will not – be tolerated,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement.
“My office and the entire Department of Justice will continue to combat threats against public officials and other attempts to chill democracy.”
Gaherty pled guilty in January to “one count of threatening a United States official,” stated the press release.
According to the press release, Gaherty “admitted” in his plea agreement that he made threats of “assault and m*rder” to the California congresswoman on “four separate occasions in August and November of 2022,” with the intention of impeding, interfering, or intimidating her while she was “engaged in” performing her job duties.
Gaherty reportedly left a message at Waters’ office in August 2022, threatening to “put a cap” over her eyes, “stomp” her, and “cut [her] throat,” according to the press statement.
The Texas man reportedly told Waters to “move” because “he and his boys ‘in the area’ had a ‘contract’ on her life,” according to the press statement.
Even when law enforcement officials “warned him to disengage,” Gaherty continued to leave threatening voicemails for Waters.
“Authorities contacted Gaherty and warned him to disengage in October 2022, but a few weeks later, he persisted with his violent threats,” the release stated.
“In November 2022, Gaherty left Waters two additional voicemails, informing Waters that she ‘done [expletive] up’ by reporting his threats to law enforcement, and stated, ‘This ain’t no threat. It’s a … promise.’”
“He also threatened to meet Waters ‘on the street’ and ‘get in [her] face,’ and again told her that he and his ‘crowd,’ had a contract to ‘take [her]… out.’ Finally, he warned, ‘You better watch your back,’” it concluded.
While it’s easy to point to certain unhinged people as outliers, this is unsettling.
As the election draws near, and as the results come in, it’s anybody’s guess how people will react.
And the average American is bracing for it.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
