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Matt Gaetz gets apology from Buttigieg staffer

The staffer was not involved in an initial incident involving a drink that was thrown at the Republican congressman.
 
U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz gets struck by a plastic cup on Saturday outside a Pensacola coffee house. [YouTube]
U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz gets struck by a plastic cup on Saturday outside a Pensacola coffee house. [YouTube]
Published July 1, 2019|Updated July 1, 2019

WASHINGTON — Rep. Matt Gaetz says he received a phone call from Samantha Lillian Elaine Pollara, a campaign staffer for Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, after she posted a Facebook comment aimed toward him that read, “Please, please let it be urine next time” followed by three “fingers crossed” emojis.

The plea for pee was in reference to an incident that took place last month in Pensacola, Florida, when Gaetz was struck by a drink cup allegedly thrown by Amanda Kondrat’yev as he left a town hall. Gaetz has since said that he plans to press charges against Kondrat’yev, who briefly ran against the congressman in 2016 before withdrawing from the race.

Gaetz tweeted at the Buttigieg on Sunday to let him know that a member of his campaign team was “inciting (rather gross) violence” against him.

Gaetz followed up this morning with an update saying the staffer has since apologized for the comment, tweeting, “Samantha gave me a very nice call and apology. That is how reasonable people behave and it’s certainly good enough for me.”

Pollara’s LinkIn profile lists her as Florida regional investment director for Buttigieg’s campaign.