A Florida man was arrested Monday after an altercation with Rep. Anna Paulina Luna's (R-FL) campaign manager at an early voting site in Pinellas County over the weekend.
Andrew Francis, 32, was arrested Monday night on a misdemeanor charge of simple assault, according to Pinellas County Jail records.
Francis allegedly punched a woman in the shoulder Saturday outside the county courthouse in Clearwater, one of the region's early voting locations. FOX 13 Tampa Bay reported.
Law enforcement has not identified the woman, but Luna said on her campaign's social media accounts that the victim was her campaign manager.
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Andrew Francis, 32, was arrested Monday after he allegedly punched the campaign manager of Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) at an early voting site over the weekend. (Pinellas County Jail, via FOX 13)
Clearwater police told local news outlets that Francisco was walking toward a crosswalk outside the courthouse just before noon Saturday when he engaged in “numerous aggressive actions toward opposing political groups and made lewd and violent attacks.” “I used words,” he said.
According to an arrest affidavit reviewed by FOX 13, the suspect allegedly contacted two members of an opposing political group and “intentionally punched the victim in the shoulder, causing her to lose balance.”
The incident between Mr. Francis and Congressman Luna's campaign manager occurred Saturday outside the Pinellas County courthouse in Clearwater, Florida. (Reuters/Octavio Jones)
Luna, who is running for re-election against Whitney Foxx, blamed the attack on her campaign chief on her opponent's “irresponsible and desperate statements.”
“This is the man who assaulted my female campaign manager. He's been arrested! He shook hands with Whitney Foxx's father before assaulting my commercial. That's on video. Whitney “Fox's irresponsible and desperate statements caused this situation,” Luna wrote on Facebook. .
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Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) (left), who is running for re-election in Florida's 13th Congressional District, accused her opponent Whitney Foxx (R-Fla.) of attacking her campaign manager. right). (Rep. Whitney Foxx)
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Fox said the incident involving Luna's staff was “disappointing” and that Luna ” [her] It added that it was “reckless” for Luna to “falsely claim this is related to me or my campaign.”
“It's important to find ways to lower the temperature in American politics. My own father was recently threatened with an ax while campaigning. Situations like this have become all too common, leading to chaos and division. must end,” she said.
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Francis posted $500 bail and was released at 12:42 a.m. Tuesday.
Fox News Digital has requested a statement from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
