South Florida man denies making violent online threats to gun-advocate congresswoman
A 38-year-old former Delray Beach-area man Wednesday denied accusations that he made violent online threats to a Colorado congresswoman who is a staunch gun-rights advocate and was accused of inciting rioters during the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol.
Matthew Lee Comiskey, who now lives in Broward County, pleaded not guilty to five counts of making interstate threats in connection with five tweets sent to Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert during August and September.
“Don’t worry Lauren, someone is coming soon to show your face the 2nd amendment in practice with a copper jacket. Enjoy,” he wrote on Twitter while living in Palm Beach County, court records show.
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A month later he posted another tweet directed at Boebert, prosecutors said. “Don’t come to Florida us libs have big guns here and we stand (our) ground. Take you down like Trayvon,” it read.
The tweet apparently referred to 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, a Miami youth who was fatally shot in 2012 by George Zimmerman, who convinced a jury in Seminole County he had acted in self-defense.
Comiskey, who faces a maximum five years in prison, was released on a $50,000 bond. His attorney, Michael Cohen, declined comment other than to say Comiskey has no criminal record.
Boebert, who was born in Florida and moved to Colorado when she was 12, has been a magnet for controversy since her election in 2020.
The 35-year-old mother of four made a name in Colorado by challenging gun-control efforts, publicly blasting 2020 presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke for promoting a ban on assault rifles and a gun buyback program.
A loyal supporter of former President Donald Trump, she supported his false claims that the election was stolen from him and voted against certifying the results.
She was criticized by Democratic colleagues for “helping incite violence” after tweeting information to protestors who stormed the Capitol. She is a member of the conservative Freedom Caucus and the pro-gun Second Amendment Caucus.
jmusgrave@pbpost.com
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Not-guilty plea filed: Man accused of threats to U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert
