DISTURBING

Houston Man Arrested for Racist Voicemail Threats Against Maxine Waters

Brian Michael Gaherty called Waters’ office numerous times between August and November 2022, threatening to assault or kill the congresswoman, prosecutors said.

A 60-year-old Houston man has been arrested and charged for sending multiple threatening and racially charged voicemails to Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA). According to an affidavit filed Thursday, Brian Michael Gaherty called Waters’ office numerous times between August and November 2022 threatening to assault or kill Waters. “Tell Congresswoman Maxine Waters when I see her on the street I’m going to bust her upside her head,” Gaherty allegedly said. Capitol Police began investigating Gaherty after he spoke on the phone with one of Waters’ staffers in November. But he allegedly has a history of threatening other congresswomen of color with racist and violent voicemails, too. “My people going to do some damage on you. You know what I’m saying?” Gaherty said in a September voicemail to another unidentified congresswoman, according to the affidavit. “Now we’re not going to kill you. We’re going to make you suffer…” Gaherty has been charged with transmission of a threat to injure the person of another interstate commerce. He was arrested on April 13 with a bond set at $100,000, which he has since posted.