California Man Arrested for Threatening Rep. Matt Gaetz: Officials

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) in the East Room of the White House in Washington on Feb. 6, 2020. Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times

A California man was arrested for allegedly making a death threat against Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) earlier this year following the Jan. 6 Capitol breach.

Officials arrested Eugene Huelsman, 58, of Thousand Oaks, California, several days ago, officials told Politico.

During a court hearing last week, Huelsman was released by a federal magistrate judge in Los Angeles on a $20,000 bond, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles told the news outlet. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida also confirmed his indictment and arrest.

Prosecutors said that in early January, he allegedly called the officer of an elected official described as “M.G.” and threatened him and his family.

“Tell [M.G.] to watch his back, tell him to watch his children,” Huelsman allegedly said in reference to Gaetz, according to an indictment (pdf) in May. “I’m coming for him ... I’m gonna [expletive] kill him. I’m gonna put a bullet in you and I’m gonna put a bullet in one of your [expletive] kids too.”

Gaetz also confirmed to Politico on Tuesday that he was the target of the alleged threats. The Florida congressman wrote on Twitter that he believes Huelsman is a longtime cameraman for CNN, ABC, and NBC.

“I’m glad that prosecutors in the Northern District of Florida take death threats against me and my family seriously. I wish that were an ethic across the [Department of Justice] enterprise,” Gaetz’s office told local media.

Huelsman “has been ARRESTED for threatening to kill Matt Gaetz and his family,” Gaetz’s account wrote. “Another man who recently threatened Rep. Gaetz is still free after the DOJ blocked USCP’s recommendation for arrest.”

The congressman was likely referring to reports saying that online records show Huelsman had worked with several TV shows and earned five Emmy nominations for his work on NBC’s “Late Night with Conan O'Brien.”

And last week, Gaetz said on the House floor that he suspects threats against him were not being taken seriously.

“An indictment was issued in May, and has now been unsealed the week after my criticism,” he said. “If they took our security seriously, they would arrest all of the people who violate federal law and the threats to kill us, not just some of them … I think that the Department of Justice is biased against Republicans.”

It’s not clear if Huelsman has an attorney.