Man who doused Rep. Omar with vinegar gets 14-month sentence
A Minnesota man who sprayed apple cider vinegar on Rep. Ilhan Omar during a Minneapolis town hall was sentenced Thursday to 14 months in prison after reaching a plea deal with prosecutors. Anthony Kazmierczak, 55, received the maximum sentence for his federal charges of assaulting a U.S. officer.
He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release that included a no-contact order with Omar, according to the Associated Press.
Prosecutors recommended 8 to 14 months of imprisonment, citing Kazmierczak’s guilty plea in May to a one-count indictment and his past run-ins with law enforcement.
Minnesota court records show that Kazmierczak was previously convicted of felony auto theft in 1989 and has been arrested multiple times for driving under the influence.
U.S. District Judge Joan N. Ericksen said what Kazmierczak did was not “a spur of the moment act,” as the defendant bought tickets to the Minneapolis town hall weeks before it happened.
A livestream of the event showed the man standing and yelling at Omar, who was at the podium, and calling for former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign or face impeachment over her handling of the Minneapolis shootings.
He was then seen spraying her before he was tackled to the ground.
An FBI investigation found Kazmierczak’s online searches in the weeks before the event, including searches about Omar, her private security detail measures, bail bond companies, GoFundMe fundraising procedures and potential charging statutes for assaulting a public official, according to prosecutor filings.
“An attack on a public figure is not a political statement. It is misguided, selfish, and inconsistent with any concept of a free or democratic society,” Ericksen said.
He added that Kazmierczak’s actions against Omar “is a terrifying thing, and you knew that when you did it.”
The attack drew mixed reactions, with Democrats and several GOP lawmakers rushing to condemn the incident. Trump, however, suggested it had been staged, despite no evidence to support that claim.
Kazmierczak still faces a pending case in state court. A spokesperson from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, Daniel Borgertpoepping, told The Hill, “Our office will review Mr. Kazmierczak’s federal case and plea, communicate with the victims, and decide on an appropriate path forward.”
