New details were released after Elijah Manley, who ran this year for Florida’s 20th congressional district seat, was arrested on charges of writing threats on Facebook.
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Manley faces two counts of intimidation-write/send threats to kill or injure.
According to an arrest affidavit, on Aug. 21, the Broward Sheriff’s Office was notified about two social media posts made on Facebook by an account using the name elijahdmanley.
In those posts, Manley was threatening physical harm, the affidavit said.
Screenshots of the messages Manley allegedly posted said “I’m talking to y’all. I saw y’all comments earlier. I’m already pissed off, do not piss me off more. I swear to god, take me to war over this black woman and I promise y’all I will burn y’all mf castle to the ground and anyone else in my way.”
Manley, the affidavit said, appeared to disagree with other users over Florida Senate candidate Angie Nixon.
In another post, the account with Manley’s name wrote, “This the type shii that will make me snap. Any of you that don’t support Angie Nixon, I promise you I will make your life a living hell to the very end. You better lineup behind the Democratic nominee like we always do,” the affidavit said.
Manley also wrote “Every democrat needs to get behind the democratic nominee for Senate. Anybody not doing that, I promise you I’m going to cut your [expletive] head off.”
During the investigation, investigators believed the account did belong to Manley, and contact was made with another user, who told detectives that the comments made put her in fear, the affidavit said.
The user, the affidavit said, told detectives that the account with Manley’s name had been to her residence in the past for political fundraising activities. She also said the comments were made on Aug. 20.
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Eight days later, on Aug. 28, detectives met with two people at a residence to obtain sworn statements. Both told detectives they interpreted the term “castle” in the Facebook post as referring to their residences, the affidavit said.
The two said they met Manley through political activities and were concerned with their safety, and reported the comments to Facebook, but Meta said the post did not meet guidelines for removal,” the affidavit said.
Following the comments made by Manley, his followers asked him to tone down his rhetoric, which he declined to do, the affidavit said.
Manley, the report said, “I’m not toning anything down. I’m tired of being told tone my voice while white people get away with destroying everything. I want all white people to vote for the Democratic nominee.”
He was then arrested, and has since bonded out of jail.
Broward State Attorney’s Office spokesperson Paula McMahon said in a statement that they will not be handling this case because the “listed victims have participated in several charitable drives organized by the Broward State Attorney’s Office over the years.”
The Broward State Attorney’s Office has requested that the governor assign the case to a different state attorney’s office, McMahon said.
Manley finished third in the Democratic primary in August, defeated by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
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