{"id":440622,"date":"2026-10-28T16:52:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-28T16:52:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/440622\/"},"modified":"2026-10-28T16:52:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T16:52:10","slug":"port-st-lucie-man-accused-of-trying-to-extort-state-rep-meg-weinberger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/440622\/","title":{"rendered":"Port St. Lucie man accused of trying to extort State Rep. Meg Weinberger"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Port St. Lucie man was arrested on charges alleging he threatened to file lawsuits and ethics complaints against State Rep. Meg Weinberger unless she publicly apologized and backed his push for government audits, according to a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Offic<\/a>e probable cause affidavit.<\/p>\n

Anthony Pizzarelli, 50, was booked Oct. 27, arrest records show. He faces charges of extortion, using a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony, and harassing an elected official, according to the affidavit. The charges are allegations; Pizzarelli is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.<\/p>\n

Investigators say Pizzarelli emailed Weinberger on Feb. 9 and offered to leave her out of lawsuits and ethics complaints he said he planned to file if she issued a \u201cswift public apology.\u201d He also proposed wording for the apology. In an April 6 email, he allegedly renewed the threat, writing that he did not plan to name her in the complaints \u201cbut that can change,\u201d and urged her to help with his audit campaign.<\/p>\n

According to the affidavit, Pizzarelli transmitted a voice memo May 18th, 2026, directly to Weinberger’s personal cell phone in which he stated, among other things: “I’m an angry person, so I’m not being nice,” “I’m doing the lawsuits,” and “you don’t know what I can do.” <\/p>\n

The affidavit says Pizzarelli wanted Weinberger to support audits of Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties and pursue investigations into government contracting. Weinberger told investigators she had never met him, did not represent him and had no authority over St. Lucie County government. She said she viewed the messages as threats and feared for her safety and her family\u2019s, according to the affidavit.<\/p>\n

\"Anthony<\/p>\n

Anthony Pizzarelli was arrested on Friday, July 18, 2025, by the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office after he allegedly sent alarming messages to the St. Lucie County Commission. Deputies said the communications escalated in tone and content, which raised concern among officials. (SLCSO)<\/p>\n

Pizzarelli told investigators he viewed his communications as \u201cgood faith notices\u201d and denied using them to leverage Weinberger. He said he was seeking an apology over an incident in which she had been copied on an email, and was trying to get her support for his complaints. He had not filed a lawsuit or ethics complaint against her at the time of his interview, the affidavit says.<\/p>\n

See also: Florida woman convicted in $8.6 million Medicare fraud scheme<\/a><\/p>\n

The affidavit says the investigation found probable cause for the charges after reviewing emails, a May voice message and evidence from electronic devices.<\/p>\n

Prior accusation of threats<\/p>\n

In 2025, Pizzarelli was accused of sending threatening emails<\/a> to St. Lucie County commissioners. Deputies say the communications escalated in tone and content, which raised concern among officials.<\/p>\n

In the emails he sent, he allegedly using threatening language that included being “ruthless” and making allusions to “murder charges where applicable.”<\/p>\n

Pizzarelli was arrested and booked on counts of intimidation – sending written threats to kill or injure.<\/p>\n

In the current affidavit, Pizzarelli told investigators that all charges from the 2025 case had been dropped.<\/p>\n

Weinberger, running for reelection, faced intimidation in 2024<\/p>\n

Weinberger, a first-term Republican, represents Florida House District 94 in Palm Beach County, according to the Florida House. She was elected in 2024. <\/p>\n

Weinberger\u2019s campaign faced a separate voter intimidation case during the 2024 election. Nicholas Farley was arrested <\/a>after a campaign volunteer said he yelled antisemitic slurs at her and drove threateningly near early voters outside the Acreage Branch Library. Farley told detectives that seeing Weinberger campaign posters triggered his remarks. The case involved Farley, not Pizzarelli.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbsolutely it\u2019s very scary we\u2019re dealing with this. It\u2019s just no way to live and maybe he opens his eyes and realize that we\u2019re just all people doesn\u2019t matter your religion or skin color,\u201d Weinberger said at the time. <\/p>\n

Weinberger is seeking reelection <\/a>on Tuesday. She faces Democrat Elizabeth Holmes and Doug Barrow (no party affiliation).<\/p>\n

Related: Early voting ends this weekend across Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast<\/a><\/p>\n

She was behind the bill that pushed to rename PBIA in honor of President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n

House District 94 is entirely within Palm Beach County. It stretches from the western Glades communities of Belle Glade, Pahokee and South Bay through areas such as Westlake, Loxahatchee Groves, The Acreage and Jupiter Farms, and includes parts of several eastern communities, including West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter and Royal Palm Beach.<\/p>\n

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