Matt Gaetz says he will press charges against woman who threw drink at him

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) said this week that he plans to press charges against the person who threw a drink at him earlier this month as he was leaving a town hall event.

Gaetz said during a Fox News appearance Wednesday that he is pressing charges because he feared similar incidents happening to him or his staff in the future. 

{mosads}“If there are no consequences, then maybe it’s me getting hit with a drink one time, but what if it’s a member of my staff what if instead of a drink it’s acid or urine?” he said.

Gaetz tweeted Thursday that he was pressing charges to “send a message that we as conservatives have a right to our views — just like anybody else.”

I had a circumstance just a few weeks ago where someone threw a drink at me leaving a town hall meeting. I am going to press charges. It’s really important to send a message that we as conservatives have a right to our views — just like anybody else. We’re not backing down. pic.twitter.com/gCk05s9dWK

— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) June 27, 2019

Gaetz was hit with a drink outside a town hall event in Pensacola, Fla., earlier in June. Video shows Gaetz surrounded by protesters when a drink comes flying out of the crowd and appears to hit him in the arm.

A spokesperson for Gaetz at the time said he would likely press charges.

Local police told The Hill that 25-year-old Amanda Kondrat’yev was detained at the scene for allegedly throwing the drink.

It is not currently known what the contents of the drink were, though protesters throwing milkshakes at politicians and prominent figures has occurred several times in recent months.