Woman May Face Jail Time for Allegedly Assaulting Matt Gaetz

A woman accused of throwing a drink at Representative Matt Gaetz over the weekend could face jail time now that the Florida Republican intends to press criminal charges against her.

On Tuesday, the Walton County Sheriff’s office confirmed that the 41-year-old Tallahassee woman, Selena Chambers, was arrested in connection with the incident. Authorities allege that she intentionally threw a glass of wine at Gaetz and shouted obscenities at him during a Saturday encounter at the South Walton Beaches Wine and Food Festival.

County officials said Chambers was charged with one count of misdemeanor battery and one count of battery on an elected official. She was released on a $1,000 bond.

In a statement on Twitter, Gaetz thanked the sheriff’s office for its “swift action” and said he would press charges against Chambers “in order to uphold the civility our community deserves.”

Newsweek Newsletter sign-up >”It’s quite all right for folks to let their voice [be] heard with an opinion or a comment. Folks can shout and scream all they want—this is America,” the congressman said during his Firebrand podcast on Tuesday. “But if we start allowing stuff to be thrown or hurled, if we allow people to be harmed, there is a severe risk of escalation and accident.”

In Florida, the misdemeanor charge has a maximum punishment of a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. But battery of an elected official, which is a felony, carries a maximum of four years behind bars.

Representative Matt Gaetz speaks at a press conference on the national debt limit and the Freedom Caucus’ plan for federal spending reductions on March 28. He is pressing charges against a woman accused of throwing a drink at him during a recent Florida event. Kevin Dietsch/Getty According to the police report, Chambers was arrested at the event over the weekend and transported to the Walton County Jail after she recognized Gaetz at the festival and began cursing at him.

Newsweek subscription offers >Gaetz said that he was speaking with another man at the time that Chambers threw a drink and that both of them were hit with the beverage. Chambers, however, told police that she had spilled the drink by accident when she tripped. The woman she was with said she was the one who cursed at Gaetz.

During his podcast, the congressman pulled up several pieces of information he had discovered about Chambers, including her blog posts and past political donations made to President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign.

Gaetz described her as a “left-wing author” who became “very obsessed with Donald Trump” in the wake of the 2016 presidential election.

“Whenever there’s a conservative who acts out of line, it’s the biggest story in the world,” Gaetz said. “But when you get a radicalized leftist breaking the peace in my community…I doubt it will get the same pickup.”

This is the second time that Gaetz has had a drink thrown at him. In 2019, another woman did so—with a red slushy—while he was leaving a campaign event in Pensacola. She was sentenced to 15 days in prison. Gaetz even appeared at Amanda Kondrat’yev’s sentence hearing to request jail time.

“Only incarceration allows me to reinforce to my supporters and opponents alike that free speech is welcomed but assault will not be tolerated,” he said in a presentencing statement in 2019. Kondrat’yev’s attorney said he was “disappointed that Mr. Gaetz pushed for imprisonment as a sentence.”

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On Tuesday, the Walton County Sheriff’s office confirmed that the 41-year-old Tallahassee woman, Selena Chambers, was arrested in connection with the incident. Authorities allege that she intentionally threw a glass of wine at Gaetz and shouted obscenities at him during a Saturday encounter at the South Walton Beaches Wine and Food Festival.

County officials said Chambers was charged with one count of misdemeanor battery and one count of battery on an elected official. She was released on a $1,000 bond.

In a statement on Twitter, Gaetz thanked the sheriff’s office for its “swift action” and said he would press charges against Chambers “in order to uphold the civility our community deserves.”

Newsweek Newsletter sign-up >”It’s quite all right for folks to let their voice [be] heard with an opinion or a comment. Folks can shout and scream all they want—this is America,” the congressman said during his Firebrand podcast on Tuesday. “But if we start allowing stuff to be thrown or hurled, if we allow people to be harmed, there is a severe risk of escalation and accident.”

In Florida, the misdemeanor charge has a maximum punishment of a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. But battery of an elected official, which is a felony, carries a maximum of four years behind bars.

Representative Matt Gaetz speaks at a press conference on the national debt limit and the Freedom Caucus’ plan for federal spending reductions on March 28. He is pressing charges against a woman accused of throwing a drink at him during a recent Florida event. Kevin Dietsch/Getty According to the police report, Chambers was arrested at the event over the weekend and transported to the Walton County Jail after she recognized Gaetz at the festival and began cursing at him.

Newsweek subscription offers >Gaetz said that he was speaking with another man at the time that Chambers threw a drink and that both of them were hit with the beverage. Chambers, however, told police that she had spilled the drink by accident when she tripped. The woman she was with said she was the one who cursed at Gaetz.

During his podcast, the congressman pulled up several pieces of information he had discovered about Chambers, including her blog posts and past political donations made to President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign.

Gaetz described her as a “left-wing author” who became “very obsessed with Donald Trump” in the wake of the 2016 presidential election.

“Whenever there’s a conservative who acts out of line, it’s the biggest story in the world,” Gaetz said. “But when you get a radicalized leftist breaking the peace in my community…I doubt it will get the same pickup.”

This is the second time that Gaetz has had a drink thrown at him. In 2019, another woman did so—with a red slushy—while he was leaving a campaign event in Pensacola. She was sentenced to 15 days in prison. Gaetz even appeared at Amanda Kondrat’yev’s sentence hearing to request jail time.

“Only incarceration allows me to reinforce to my supporters and opponents alike that free speech is welcomed but assault will not be tolerated,” he said in a presentencing statement in 2019. Kondrat’yev’s attorney said he was “disappointed that Mr. Gaetz pushed for imprisonment as a sentence.”

Read more Rep. Matt Gaetz Vows To File Charges Against Drink-Tossing Protester Woman Arrested for Throwing Drink at Conservative Congressman Matt Gaetz Matt Gaetz votes against Republicans’ Parents Bill of Rights