A Texas man, Brian Michael Gaherty, 61, from Houston, has been sentenced to nearly three years in federal prison for leaving threatening and racist voicemails for California Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters. The United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner handed down the sentence and fined Gaherty $10,000, finding that he targeted Waters because of her race and adding a hate-crime enhancement to his sentence.
Gaherty pleaded guilty to one count of threatening a United States official, admitting to making threatening calls to Waters’ district office in Los Angeles County on four separate occasions in August and November 2022. The voicemails contained profanity and racist language, with Gaherty making violent threats against the congresswoman, including expressing intentions to assault and murder her.
In one voicemail, Gaherty used derogatory language and threatened to harm Waters, warning her to “watch her back” and claiming to have people ready to act on his threats. Despite warnings from authorities to stop making threats, Gaherty persisted in his actions, leading to his criminal conviction and sentencing.
Waters appeared in federal court, expressing the fear and impact that Gaherty’s threats had on her and her family. She highlighted the growing trend of targeting people of color and women of color, stating that she lives in fear for her life due to the threatening messages she received.
The United States Attorney Martin Estrada emphasized that threats against elected officials are unacceptable and will not be tolerated, reaffirming the commitment of the Department of Justice to combat such behaviors and protect democracy. The case serves as a reminder of the importance of holding individuals accountable for their actions, regardless of their background or motives.
The incident involving Gaherty and Rep. Maxine Waters sheds light on the serious consequences of making threats against public officials and the impact such actions can have on the individuals targeted. It underscores the need for law enforcement agencies to take threats seriously and for the justice system to hold perpetrators accountable for their behavior.