A California man who had worked as a cameraman for several major networks was arrested last week for threatening to kill Republican congressman Matt Gaetz. The Emmy-award nominated cameraman Eugene Huelsman had worked with CNN, ABC and NBC, and had also worked on the sets of Late Night with Conan O’Brien.
Reportedly, Eugene Huelsman had threatened the congressman days after the riots at Capitol Hills in January this year. Three days after the riots, he had allegedly called the office of Matt Gaetz threatening that he will shoot the Republican. Gaetz was one of the prominent Republicans who had supported Donald Trump in allegations of mass-scale voter fraud in the presidential elections.
According to charges filed against him, Huelsman told the staff of Gaetz on January 9 over phone, “Tell Matt Gaetz to watch his back, tell him to watch his children, tell him to watch everyone. I’m coming for him. I’m going to f—ing kill him. He’s a f—ing despicable f—ing tyrant and I’m going to f—ing kill him. I’m coming for you. I am going put a bullet in you and I’m going to put a bullet in one of your f—ing kids too. I hate you.” His threats on the phone were recorded, which can be heard in the Fox News clip Tweeted by Matt Gaetz given below, but still, it took months to arrest him.
Eugene Huelsman was indicted for threatening to kill Matt Gaetz and his kids by a federal grand jury give months ago in May, but he was arrested only recently, after which his identity was revealed.
According to his profile on IMDB, Huelsman has done camerawork for several shows, TV series, and award shows, including Saturday Night Live, Late Night With Conan O’Brien, the Ellen DeGeneres Show. He has almost 30 years of experience in television and film production.
Gaetz said that Eugene Huelsman was arrested after he talked about inaction by the administration over threats to him. “An indictment was issued in May, and has now been unsealed the week after my criticism,” he said. Matt Gaetz further added, “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.”
The arrest was made days after Gaetz had said that his life was in danger. “I think someone may be trying to kill me and if they are successful I would like my constituents and my family to know who stopped their arrest,” Gaetz had said last Wednesday in a speech in the House of Representative. He had added that a hitman who had threatened him on Twitter had travelled to Washington D.C. recently to target him, and said that the Justice Department declined to arrest the suspect despite the Capitol Police recommending such an arrest.
On October 8, a Twitter user with the handle @CIABOBISATYOURDOOR had threatened the Republican congressman saying, “Lookie here pal. I lived in Portland. Portland has ordered a hit on you. I accepted the contract. Have a good day.” The user had posted another tweet saying, “I am going to wipe you off the surface of the earth. Have a good day.”
Gaetz said that following the threatening tweets, the individual had travelled to Washington D.C., and the Capitol Police recommended his arrest, but the DOJ refused to do so.