A Clearwater man accused of assaulting Rep. Anna Paulina Luna's campaign manager at the city Courthouse was arrested for simple battery Monday evening, The Floridian learned.
The arrest follows a police report filed with the Clearwater Police Department alleging 32-year-old Andrew Francis assaulted her campaign manager, Olivia Carson, at the Clearwater Courthouse Saturday afternoon. Carson filed the report
According to the arrest affidavit, Francis was charged with simple battery for making "numerous aggressive actions and us[ing] verbal obscenities toward an opposing political group" outside of the courthouse. He then crossed the street, where he "intentionally struck the victim with his shoulder, causing the victim to lose her balance."
He is now being booked into the Pinellas County Jail.
"My campaign manager was assaulted earlier today at the Clearwater Courthouse by my opponent's supporter," Luna posted to Facebook, referring to her Democrat challenger Whitney Fox in the close CD-13 race. "Any man who physically attacks a woman belongs in jail. There is footage and she is pressing charges. I look forward to this Low T beta male getting arrested."
Luna posted something similar to her X account, causing one account to ask the 35-year-old Trump ally which "liberal" allegedly attacked Carson, to which an account from Francis replied, "Me, bitch."
In a statement to The Floridian, the conservative firebrand blasted Fox, a former communications director for the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, for her alleged supporter's attack on Carson, writing in a text, "Whitney Fox has yet to publicly condemn the assault on my female staffer by one of her male supporters.
"Thank you to the Clearwater Police Department for the swift arrest of this violent individual. Political violence should never be tolerated," Luna continued. "She will never be elected to office and should be embarrassed and ashamed of her behavior."
According to new polls, Luna and Fox are locked in a dead heat for the competitive district, which Luna won two years ago by about 8 percentage points. Fox is the only congressional Florida Democrat the national party has invested in as a potential upset winner.
The election is Nov. 5.
This story is developing...
