FL Man Hit U.S. Rep. Luna’s Campaign Manager At Early Voting Location

Crime & Safety

FL Man Hit U.S. Rep. Luna's Campaign Manager At Early Voting Location A man was charged with battery after hitting U.S. Rep. Luna's campaign manager with his shoulder outside early voting site, reports said.

CLEARWATER, FL — A Clearwater man faces charges after striking the campaign manager for U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) on Saturday outside a Pinellas County early voting location, according to multiple reports.

Luna, who is up for reelection, faces challenger Whitney Fox, a Democrat.

Andrew Francis, 32, was arrested by Clearwater police for the incident on Monday and charged with simple battery, Pinellas County court records show.

Just before noon on Saturday, Francis made "numerous aggressive actions and used verbal obscenities toward an opposing political group" while approaching a crosswalk near the Clearwater Courthouse, which was used as an early voting site, police records show, according to Fox 13 .

The group included Olivia Carson, Luna's campaign manager, the Tampa Bay Times reported .

During the altercation, he "intentionally struck the victim with his shoulder, causing the victim to lose her balance," the Times said.

Francis told police that he touched Carson, claiming "she was blocking his path," according to Tampa Bay Newspapers .

Luna claimed that Francis "shook hands with Whitney Fox's father before assaulting" Carson, she wrote in a Facebook post . The candidate also claims she has video footage of the handshake.

"Whitney Fox's irresponsible and desperate rhetoric is what caused this," Luna added.

"Learning about the incident with Luna's staffer was disheartening, and I expressed my concern for her well-being to her personally. It is reckless of Anna Paulina Luna to falsely claim that this has anything to do with me or my campaign," Fox said in a statement provided to Fox 13. "It's important that we find ways to turn down the temperature in American politics. My own father was recently threatened with an axe while canvassing. The chaos and division must end, as situations like this have become all too common."