Eugene Huelsman left a voicemail threatening to kill Matt Gaetz on January 9th, 2021. He was then sentenced to home confinement as well as a fine of $10,000 today. According to the court documents, Eugene said, “I’m gonna put a bullet in you” as he called Matt Gaetz a “tyrant.”

Eugene Huelsman’s attorney has said that Huelsman did not intend the threat to be taken literally and that he “was just outraged about the attack on the Capitol.” In a statement, United States Attorney Jason R. Coody said that the sentence “should serve as a significant deterrent to those who would threaten violence against others rather than engage in lawful debate.”

Members of Congress and other government officials have been increasing for years and at an even more accelerated pace within the last two. According to the United States Capitol Police, there were nearly 9,600 in 2021 compared to 2017 totaling around 3,900. Even this month, a man from Florida was sentenced to probation and fined nearly $7,000 for threatening Rep. Ilhan Omar over email in 2019.