A Florida woman was jailed over the weekend after throwing a glass of wine on U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz at the South Walton Beaches Food & Wine Festival.
The Florida Republican responded by announcing that he will press charges after being “assaulted” by “a registered Democrat and self-described member of the ‘Resistance.'”
“A 41-year-old Tallahassee woman, Selena Chambers, was arrested after it was found by responding deputies that she intentionally threw a glass of wine at Representative Gaetz after shouting obscenities at him. She was charged with battery on an elected official and issued a $1,000 bond. She was released the following day,” the Walton County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
Incidents like this are inevitable when cable news outlets spend the bulk of their day demonizing Republican lawmakers, often comparing them to Nazis and fascists — committed zealots and the weak of mind are easily influenced by such reckless rhetoric.
“We cannot allow an environment where you can throw things at elected officials because you don’t like them,” Sheriff Michael Adkinson said in a statement. “No matter your political affiliation, this is not the way to conduct yourself and will not be tolerated in Walton County.”
“I will never allow the safety of Northwest Floridians to be compromised. I will be pressing charges against this individual in order to uphold the civility our community deserves. Thank you to the Walton County Sheriff’s office for taking swift action,’ Gaetz said in a press release issued Tuesday.
Gaetz discussed the incident in a video he shared online.
“We were enjoying catching up with new friends and old, and folks recognized me. And so we were taking pictures and having polite conversations,” he said. “And as I was chatting with one gentleman, a lady threw a drink on the both of us and she was promptly arrested. I want to thank the great folks at the Walton County Sheriff’s Office who ensured that this did not escalate and that everyone is kept safe.
BREAKING: Tallahassee Woman Arrested and Charged with Assaulting Congressman Matt Gaetz on Saturday Evening, Gaetz Issues Statement in Response
“I will never allow the safety of Northwest Floridians to be compromised. I will be pressing charges against this individual in order… pic.twitter.com/lXccJypznU
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) May 2, 2023
As expected, attorney Matthew Karp, who represents Chambers, claimed Gaetz instigated the incident when his group engaged in a verbal altercation with a group of women, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
“This investigation has initially shown Rep. Gaetz to have been both an aggressor and agitator, and we look forward to taking his deposition,” Karp said of his own efforts. “My client, Selena Chambers, maintains her innocence in this matter, and we intend to vigorously defend against the allegations of Rep. Gaetz.”
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Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
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