Florida man jailed after allegedly striking US rep’s campaign manager outside early voting site
A Florida man was arrested Monday after a physical altercation at an early voting site in Pinellas County over the weekend involving the campaign manager of U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla.
Andrew Francis, 32, was arrested for simple battery – a misdemeanor – on Monday evening, according to Pinellas County Jail records.
Francis allegedly struck the woman with his shoulder outside the county courthouse in Clearwater on Saturday, which was one of the early voting sites in the area, FOX 13 Tampa Bay reported.
Though the woman wasn’t identified by law enforcement, Luna said on her campaign social media accounts that the victim is her campaign manager.
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Clearwater police told the local outlet that Francis “made numerous aggressive actions and used verbal obscenities toward an opposing political group” while walking toward the crosswalk outside the courthouse before noon on Saturday.
He allegedly came in contact with two people from the opposing political group and “intentionally struck the victim with his shoulder, causing the victim to lose her balance,” an arrest affidavit reviewed by FOX 13 said.
Luna, who is up for re-election and running against Whitney Fox, blamed her opponent’s “irresponsible and desperate rhetoric” for the attack on her campaign manager.
“This is the man that assaulted my female campaign manager. He has been arrested! He shook hands with Whitney Fox’s father before assaulting my CM. It’s on the footage. Whitney Fox’s irresponsible and desperate rhetoric is what caused this,” Luna wrote on Facebook.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Fox said that the incident involving Luna’s staffer was “disheartening” and she “expressed [her] concern for her well-being to her personally.” She added that it is “reckless” for Luna to “falsely claim that this has anything to do with me or my campaign.”
“It’s important that we find ways to turn down the temperature in American politics. My own father was recently threatened with an axe while canvassing. The chaos and division must end, as situations like this have become all too common,” she said.
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Francis was released from jail at 12:42 a.m. on Tuesday after posting his $500 bond.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office for a statement.