Erik Lawrence Pidrman, 66, of Spring Hill, Florida, was charged today for allegedly making a threat via phone against Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite’s (R-FL), the United States Attorney’s Office for Middle District of Florida announced this afternoon.
Pidrman, who was arrested Sunday, allegedly called Brown-Waite’s Brooksville, Florida, office early in the morning on March 25 and left a voicemail saying: “Just wanna let you know I have 27 people that are going to make sure that this b**** does not live to see her next term.”
That was just a few days after Brown-Waite voted no on the health care bill.
On March 25, Brown-Waite released a statement quoting the message and promising that she would “find the person who threatened to kill me and ensure that they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Pidrman told an FBI agent that he is a chronic “blackout alcoholic” and that he did not remember calling Brown-Waite, according to the agent’s affidavit attached to the criminal complaint. When a recording of the message was played, Pidrman affirmed “that’s my voice,” the affidavit alleges.
“Pidrman further advised that if that was him, he is very sorry and embarrassed,” according to the affidavit. He allegedly said he is not mad at Brown-Waite, that he has health care coverage, and that “he did not do any particular research in regards to how members of Congress voted on the Health Care Reform Act, but ‘it’s obvious Brown-Waite is a Republican.'”
He also allegedly said that, if anything, he was angry at Brown-Waite because “she wanted to have our American soldiers exhumed from their burial grounds in France.”
Today, Brown-Waite released a statement hailing the arrest and asserting, “Contrary to the claims by some of my Democrat colleagues, these threats are real and need to be taken very seriously.”
Authorities have charged other men in recent weeks for threatening Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), in each case over the health care bill. A Philadelphia man was deemed mentally unfit to stand trial was charged with threatening Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA).
Here’s the FBI’s full statement:
“At approximately 4:30 p.m., Sunday, April 18, 2010, FBI agents with the assistance of the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) arrested Erik Lawrence Pidrman, age 66, at his residence, 10449 Claymore Street, Spring Hill, Florida without incident.
The HCSO and the FBI immediately initiated a joint investigation after Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite’s Brooksville, Florida office received a telephonic threat on March 25, 2010, from an unknown male. Today, Pidrman is expected to appear in federal court, Tampa, Florida, for his initial appearance.
This investigation is ongoing and criminal prosecution of this matter will be addressed by the United States Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida.”
(This post has been updated with information from the U.S. Attorney.)
