MIRAMAR BEACH, FL– A 41-year-old woman is facing charges after she reportedly threw a drink on Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz over the weekend.
The incident occurred on Saturday at the South Walton Beaches Food & Wine Festival in Miramar Beach.
Selena Chambers of Tallahassee was charged with battery after throwing a glass of wine at the congressman. She has since been released on a $1,000 bail.
Despite the woman’s arrest, Defense attorney Matthew A. Karp reported his own investigation into the incident showed that Gaetz was at fault:
“This investigation has initially shown Rep. Gaetz to have been both an aggressor and agitator, and we look forward to taking his deposition,” Karp said. “My client, Selena Chambers, maintains her innocence in this matter, and we intend to vigorously defend against the allegations of Rep. Gaetz.”
This is not the first incident where the U.S. representative has had a drink thrown at him.
Gaetz suffered a similar situation in 2019 when a woman protesting outside of a town hall meeting threw a drink and struck Gaetz in the back as he walked out of the meeting.
That woman was sentenced to 15 days in federal custody.
Of the incident this weekend the Sheriff reported that this kind of behavior is not tolerated in Walton County:
“We cannot allow an environment where you can throw things at elected officials because you don’t like them,” Sheriff Michael Adkinson said in a statement. “No matter your political affiliation, this is not the way to conduct yourself and will not be tolerated in Walton County.”