Leftist woman who threw red slushie drink at GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz sentenced to 15 days in prison

Amanda Kondrat'yev — who admitted to throwing a red slushie drink at Republican U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (Fla.) a few months back — was sentenced Monday to 15 days in prison for assaulting a U.S. congressman, the Pensacola News Journal reported.

The 35-year-old wife and mother of two will turn herself in to U.S. Marshals to begin her sentence Dec. 2, the paper said.

Image source: Pensacola News Journal video screenshot

What's the background?

Kondrat'yev — who briefly ran against Gaetz as a Democratic challenger in the 2016 election — pleaded guilty in August, admitting she tossed the beverage at the Florida congressman as he was leaving the Brew Ha Ha restaurant in Pensacola for an "Open Gaetz" event on June 1, the News Journal said.

After the slushie toss, which was caught on video, Kondrat'yev was seen holding a sign and sneaking away through the crowd as Gaetz in the light blue shirt is pointing in the opposite direction:

Image source: Pensacola News Journal video screenshot

She headed toward a parking lot and seemed just seconds from getting away it:

Image source: Pensacola News Journal video screenshot

But cops were on the case and ran after her:

Image source: Pensacola News Journal video screenshot

Then Kondrat'yev got cuffed and endured a brief walk of shame:

Image source: Pensacola News Journal video screenshot

What happened with the case?

Sentencing guidelines called for a prison sentence of eight months to a year, the News Journal said, but U.S. Magistrate Judge Hope Cannon pointed out that Kondrat'yev had no prior criminal history and that the crime had a "limited duration" — both of which led the judge to impose a lighter sentence.

However, Cannon said "the fact that there was no bodily injury or harm does not make this crime count any less" and that elected officials should be able to hold office without fear of being assaulted, the paper added.

Besides 15 days in the slammer, Kondrat'yev will serve one year of supervised probation and pay a $500 fine, the News Journal reported.

She likely will be held at the Santa Rosa County Jail, which has a contract with the federal government to house inmates for short sentences, the paper said, citing Kondrat'yev's attorney.

What's was Gaetz's position?

Gaetz attended the hearing Monday morning and gave a statement to the judge, asking that Kondrat'yev receive a prison sentence, the News Journal said.

"I come not for any vengeance or retribution but for the safety of the constituents who attend our public events," Gaetz told the court, according the paper, later adding that he feared only probation would inspire others "willing to endure that consequence to show up wishing to cause harm to my supporters or me."

Afterward, Gaetz told reporters he was pleased with the 15-day sentence, the News Journal reported.

"We want to welcome everyone to our events, whether they support me or not," he said.

What did Kondrat'yev's lawyer have to say?

Kondrat'yev's attorney Eric Stevenson said he was happy with his client's lighter sentence but unhappy with Gaetz, the paper said.

"For him to talk about a violent crime, it's not as violent as a potential DUI is to drivers on the road," Stevenson said, referring to Gaetz's 2008 arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, the charges of which were later dropped, the News Journal said. "It's not as much of a threat to our national security as storming a security hearing with a cellphone in a room that doesn't allow cellphones. It doesn't jeopardize our rule of law as much as intimidating witnesses, and it's not as severe as threatening to unleash violent supporters if you don't get what you want."

Stevenson added that he wished Gaetz showed Kondrat'yev "some Christian justice or mercy," the paper said.

Anything else?

A cursory glance at Kondrat'yev's very active Twitter page gives a pretty clear picture of what she's all about, sociopolitically speaking.

At the top of it she trumpets the phrase, "Matt Gaetz thinks cups are deadly weapons but guns are cool for school."

Elsewhere she lauds left-wing talking points such as LGBTQ rights and climate change and rails against President Donald Trump, police — and of course, Gaetz, who is among her 722 followers.

Kondrat'yev also created a GoFundMe page about a week after she tossed the slushie at Gaetz in order to raise money for her legal defense. In an update last month, she wrote, "It has been really hard to cope with the idea of going to Federal prison for a year over a slushee splash and being away from my family and everyone I know. I never meant to hurt anyone, but I'm charged with a Federal misdemeanor: 'Willful Assault on a Member of Congress.' I hope the judge is lenient. I have no way to know until I am sentenced. In the draft report it says the victim wants me to be incarcerated or his supporters will get violent too. I never thought it would be like this but clearly the US is not like the UK where they just paid a fine for dry cleaning despite much larger and direct spills. I'm sorry for what I've done, I shouldn't throw things. If anyone will please help, it would mean so much."

She's raised a little over $1,900 of her $5,000 goal as of Wednesday.